The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-01
Order In Which Numbers Are
Drawn Not To Be As Ac-
curate AS Before.
MEN In THREE CLASSES

tBy Associated Press TO The Bannerl
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2S-Monday
September 30 was set by Provost Mar
shal General Crowder today as the
date for the national draft lottery, TO
determine the order in the classes to
which they will be assigned, Of 13.0O0,-
600 men from 18 to IS who registered
for selective service, September ~.
The drawing will take place public
" at the senate office building and
the numbers will be given to the press
and the country by district draft
boards as quickly as the list can be
printed and put into the hands OF the
boards by mail.
1t will be necessary this time to
draw one at time, approximately H.
900 capsules, containing the serial
numbers and it will require approx
mately twenty.six hours to complete
the task.
The first drawing Of numbers was
flashed to the country by wire as fast
as the capsules were taken from the
bowl, because, under the system then
prevailing. the order Of numbers actu.
ally indicated the order in which mel
were called for service. The later
creation of the classification system,
however, has entirely altered the sit
uation and the order Of numbers now
only indicate a mans order in his
class, and several considerations de-
eide his class.
As an example. the first number
drawn out OF the bowl might be 24S.
Number 24S might be held by nan
43 years old, married and having chill
dren. The fact that his number is.the
first drawn stands for nothing at all.
He would automatically go in the
fourth class for dependency and unless
the government reverses its policy for
not invading deferred classifications
he never would be- called f0v. seryice. II
the policy ever should be reversed all
the men in the two classes ahead OF
him would first have 10 be exhausted
This, II will be seen, materially reduc-
es the Importance OF. his number being
first out of the bowl. "o1 "a
Similarly, number 5,27G for example
might be the last capsule drawn and
the holder might be a man 1Snyears
old, unmarried and foot-free. He would
practically certain to be called to duty
soon, despite the fact that his order
number was at the bottom of the list
Furthermore. all the registrants
whose number Is about to be with
drawn Is subdiyided into three classes
for present purposes. Those between
10 and 81 come first; those from 81
to As come next and those between
18 and 10 come last. The numbers
drawn are certain to be indiscrimin-
ately scattered through these classes,
but 1t is very doubtful when the men
above 81 will be called. Even though
men between Is and lS hold early or.
der numbers, there is no likelihood of
their being among the first for duty.
Then added to the effect upon the
order of service which has been work
ed by the classifications is the bust.
ness of deferrment because of O mans
occupation. which may he considered
more essential to the winning of the
war than actual service with troops.
The government has made it very
clear that in this draft 1t does not
want single man in the army who ac-
tually is needed at home. All these
considerations 1t will be seen reduce
the relative importanc OF man posi-.
tiOn In the drawing to his likelihood
for service.
The effect of the drawing simply
means that every man who knows he
| is fit for military service. and has no
| valid reason for deferrment can ex.
I quite irrespective of where his nun.
pect to be ready to be called for duty,
| her comes out.
When the question Of telegraphing
the order of the numbers all over the
United States was fully investigated 1t
was found that TO do so would have en-
tirely occupied all the facilities for
distributing news for at least "a hours
continuously. 1t meant that for "a
straight hours. possibly more. not a
single word of news of the war or
events at home could have been pub
lished by the newspapers. the plan OF
having the government use It's own
machinery-through the boards-to
distribute the numbers was then evolv.
ed and 1t brought the added advantage
of making the list when finally pub.
lished an Official one ON which boards
and registrauts could absolutely de-
pend. At the same time II left tbs or