The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-11-15
new DRAFT PLAN
IS ANNOUNCED
Second Call on Draft Forces
Will Come In About
Sixty Days.
DIVIDED INTO five CLASSES
Period Of Classification BeuIns
About December IS. Call
Probably Will Come
In February.

Washington, Nov. lO-Presidenl
Wilson formally put the new mach
lnery for carrying out the selectivc
draft l',ll into operation tonight
with the publication of the fore
word he has written to the rcgula-
tions under which the second call
will be made. The regulations
themselves and the questionarles,
which more than 9,O0O,O0O rcgistr-
ants will be required to fill out, are
being forwarded to local boards,
but have not yet been made public.
War departments Officials esti-
mate that the whole process Nan be
completed within 60 days. This
means that no second call will be
made upon the draft forces before
the middle of next February. as
the period Of classification will not
begin until December Is.
The president desribes the new
plan of dividing all registered men
not already mobilizcd, into five
classes, subject to military service
by classes, as being intended to
produce "a more perfect organiza-
ton of our man power.
The president s foreward fol-
lows:
"The task of selecting and mob
iliMng the first contingent of the
national army is nearing compile
tion. The expedition and accur.
acy of it's accomplishment were a
most gratifying demonstration oi
the efficiency of our democratic in
stitutions. The swiftness with
which the machinery for it's exc.
cution had to be assembled, how.
ever, left room for adjustment and
improvement. New regulations
put these improvements into effect
are, therefore, being published TO-
day. There is no change i'm ths
essential obi igation of men sub
jrct to selection. The first draft
must stand unaffected by the pro
visions of the new regulations.
They can b. given no lctroactlv
effect.
'''rhc time has come for IL nor,
perfect organization of o.lr mai
power The sclrctivc p:iEcipl,
must be carried to its logical con
clusion. We must make a complrt,
inventory Of the qualifications OF
all rcgistrants in order to deter
mine as to each man not selected
for duty with the colors, the plac,
in the military, industrial or ag
ricultural ranks of the nation III
which his experience and training
can best be made to serve the com.
mon good. This project involves
an inquiry by the selection boards
into the domestic, industrial and
educational qualifications of near.
ly 100000 men.
Members of these boards have
rendered conspicuous service
The work was done without regard
to personal convenience and under
a pressure of immediate necessity
which implied full efficiency in ev
cry branch. Yet the services of
men trained by the experience OF
the first draft must Of necessity be
retained. The thing they have
done is of scarcely one-tenth the
magnlturc Of the thing that re.
mains to be done. 1t is of great
Importance both to our military
and to our economic interests that
the classification be carried swiftly
and accurately to conclusion. An
estimate of the time necessary for
the work leads to the conclusion
that it can be accomplished in 60
days, but only if this great marshal
ling OF our resources OF men is re.
garded by an as national war
undertaking of such significance as
to challenge the attention and com.
pei the assistance of every Amer.
lean.
81 call upon all citizens, there
fore, to assist local and district
boards by proffering such service
and such material conven;ences as
they can offer and by appearing be
fore the boards either upon sum
mons or upon their own Initiative.
to give such information as will be