The Washington herald., 1918-10-22
DRAFT BOARDS
HERE WELL UP
Reason for Lagging Reports
Thoroughness Of the
Methods Used.

Tie reason for the nonappearance
of the Districts local boards on
the progress chart of the Provost
Marshal General was stated yester-
day by local draft officials.
with the Jurisdiction OF Utah
marked up on the chart as having
completed its classification. Maj.
not one local board in this city had
as yet completed more than ninety
per cent of its classification.
This may seem strange in view
of the fact that in all other work
IN connection with the draft this
city has been the leader OF the
nation. Maj. Donavan stated that
he had complete confidence in the
local boards and expVssed the
opinion that they would soon come
through with reports which would
make the whole country "sit up
and take notice" He said that
while the local boards had not done
much work on the classinca ton
Itself. still they had completed
practically all Of the preliminary
work This work. he stated, was of
great magnitude
Process q Long One.
In the FIRST place. serial number
lists have to be made up by each
board; these lists have to be checked
and rechecked in order that there
may not be the slightest possibility
Of an error. After the serial num-
her hsts have been complied, Il is
necessary 70 make up order number
lists. placing the order numbers In
their proper position After this, the
Ecosr important lists Of all, namely the
cisszfncatton lists, have to be ar
-rsuged. On the classification lists
there are about thirty columns, which
rCvide for the entering of the name
Of the registrant, his age, color.
serial and order number. and so forth.
IL is explained that this list must be
gone over q great many times by
local board members in order to pre-
vent any mistakes This gives only
a slight idea Of the great amount
Of work before the local draft Of
6cals
MAJOR Donovan stated that all of
this work has been completed by the
local boards and that they were now
working on the classification proper.
He pointed out that the progress
chart provided for the entry Of work
on the classification only and not
upon the compilation of the lists
The boards in the jurisdictions
which have already reported. have
only completed the classification and
have not worked out the lists, so that
they, are able to report to the pro-
vost marshal that they have finished
with the Classification but that they
have as much more work to do. prob
ably more than have the local boards
), IN this city. For this reason, when
the local boards of this jurisdiction
will have well earned their entry, says
Major Donovan.
A circular letter will BE- sent to the
local boards today with the inten-
ton OF spurring them on to greater
efforts in completing their work. Pre-
dictions were made yesterday that the
worz would soon be completed and
that the District would be on the
Official list by the end Of the week
Four Reports Made.
out Of the eleven local boards,
only four have as yet made any
ofsciaI report to the local director.
s Local Board No. II heads the list
with No. tied. They have both
classified sixty per cent Of the reg
tStrants TO whom questionnatres
have already been sent. Boards Nos.
ard have slso made reports
showing that they have classified
thirty per cent.
As soon as the classification of
the men Of 10 to IS has been COM
pleted, the local boards viii make
prsparst tions for the distribution Of
questionnaires to all other reg
istrants. Orders have been issued
to the effect that as soon as the
classification Of the first class has
been completed the boards are TO
begin work on the others