The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-06-27
DRAWING OF PLACES
MOVED SWIFTLY
Historic Event Took Place in a Commit
tee Room of the Senate Office
Building in Washington.

Washington, ID. c., June 27.--Ameri
ca class of 1918 stood at attention to.
| day as the numbers assigned to each
| young man attaining his majority in
! the year ending last June were drawn
/ in the national draft lottery.
! Historic events of little less than a
year ago were repeated as, from a large
| glass bowl in committee room of the
Senate office building, were drawn the
numbers representing IA 800 youths, the
majority of whom within a few months
will be enrolled in the forces fighting for
democracy and against Prussianism.
Secretary Baker, members Of the SEN
ate and House military committees and
other high government officials witnessed
the drawing by blindfolded men of the
little capsules, containing master
number" to be applied in the $500 regis
tration districts of the country, accord
ing to the total registration.
The setting for the lottery was a re-
plica of that of last years drawing of
l0.500 numbers, which determined the
liability for service of approximately ten
million men. In the country at large
there was little of the excitement that
attended the first drawing. A year of
war had served TO calm the American
people. The lack of excitement, how
ever, was largely occasioned by the fact
that to-day's drawing was fraught with
only slight significance, owing to the
QUESTIONABLE method of classification
To-day's drawing was to determine.
only the relative summoning to the coll
ors of the new registrants as finally
classified by the local boards under the
questionable system. All of the youths
whose numbers were drawn to-day will
be assigned to the various FIVE classes
on the basis of information furnished in
the questionnaires now being mailed out,
The new registrants will be placed at the
foot of the list in each class in their
respective districts in the order in which
their numbers are drawn to-day. In that
respect only will to-day's drawing af
feet the registrants.
Statements made recently by Provost
Marshal General Crowder and Secretary
trants placed In class one will be called |
before the end of the year. According |
ly, not more than a few months will |
elapse at the most between the calling |
Of men in class one whose numbers are
among those drawn first and those |
whose numbers are among the last to be
Laken from the bowl.
The first few numbers to be drawn
we're taken from the bowl shortly after
$50 o'clock by Secretary Baker. Later
attaches of the offices of Provost Mar
,hal General Crowder were blindfolded
md withdrew the capsules from the
,owl As the numbers were drawn, they
we're announced and written on a large
blackboard. When the blackboard was
llled it was removed to be photographed
md another substituted. This operation
vas repeated during the more than three
lours required for the drawing
In comparison with the l0,500 numbers
equired to be drawn year ago, only
200 numbers were drawn to-day The
istrict having the largest number of ]
nen to register June 5 reported some
That less than 1000 registrants. To pro-
ide for late registrants and emergen-
les. il was decided to draw POO num- ]
ers. In the larger number of the dis
ricts, however, only the lower numbers
ill apply.
Official lists of the numbers as drawn
ased on the photographs taken of the
lackboards will be sent within a few
avs to all local draft boards to be used /
placing the men when the question
aires have been returned. .
The master numbers" drawn to-day !,
pply 10 the numbers on the registration
.rds Of the registrants. In the draw !
10 of a year ago serial numbers were
ssipued. but this was deemed unneces-
,ry In the present drawing because Of
le fewer registrsnts and of the less
npor,ance attached to the order in +,
hich the numbers are drawn. The first Il
imber drawn from the bowl was 2i6.
he second and third, respectively, were
IS and SIS III