Arizona republican., 1918-04-06
|M0D|F F|CAT|ON
 IF DRAF I LAW
 PRESENT PLAN
President Suggests Dras- tic Changes in Selective
 Draft Act; Will Solve The Labor Problem is Belief
Republican A. p. Leased WireJ

WASHINGTON, April 5.-Drastic modification of the draft classification lists which would affect in one way or another the status of every one of the millions of registered men, is proposed in q plan submitted to President Will son today by officials of the provost marshal generals office and the de- partment of labor. While the primary purpose of the new program is the ''purification' of the second third and fourth classes of registrants who are not engaged in any productive indus try. attention also would be given to lower sections of class one, and the effect it's framers believe, would be to solve the nations labor problem and largely increase the output of the ne cessaries of life.
 The proposal would utilize the draft machinery for putting industrial slack CTS to work.
 It is proposed to make a most careful survey of the lower sections of class one and of other classes to identify those men who are idlers or who are gaining their living through undesir- able or harmful pursuits. Under the latter head. officials suggest, might be listed gamblers, bookmal1ers for races, poolroom touts and others. For maj notification would be served upon the men that unless within a specified time they obtained employment in some useful industry they would have their classified status changed so as to send them into military service i'm mediately.
 The plan is not designed to interfere in the slightest with the so-called non- essential industries.
 Administration officials declare that the next step would be to obtain au- thority for the industrial classification Of the man power of the country up to the age of fifty years.
 To make the program fully effective it is intended to utilize the existing local boards virtually. as emplcwment agencies for their districts. When a man was informed that he must seek ] useful occupation he would be told where just such a man as his question naire shows him to be, was needed.
 The status of men on the classified ilsts, both in class one and in the de- ferred classes in the opinion of the provost marshal generals office would De improved. Delinquents who did not -ASN' tAAC Nttl IIuS WOulQ De lnQuct6O into the military service. reducing the number of men to be called from class one. This would operate to delay still further the date when the services of men in class two might be needed. This Tact is expected to draw to the aid of the purification'' relatives and friends of boys who are about to be called.
 mat determined opposition to the plan Will develop in some quarters has been foreseen. The effect upon the labor market of the addition of man, thousands of able bodied workers mieh pc to reduce the present wage scales The economic balance would be ken even, however, according to the cham. plons of the program by the reductio, in the cost of life's necessaries througt increased output and in the improved situation of the dollar in internationa eXchange. No indication has beer siven of the attitude which Presiden wilson will take, though army official. are confident he will give his apnroval