The Washington herald., 1918-09-25
Fail to Notify Crowder
That Serial Numbers
| Are Assigned.
SEPT. 2S POSSIBLE DATE
Crowder Asks Everyone In
terested to Make Claims
Promptly.

Final determination of the date for
the big draft lottery is being delayed
by failure Of local boards to notify
the office of the Provost Marshal
General that they have assigned
serial numbers to all registrants.
Gen. Crowder sent kilograms TO all
the local boards Monday night and
again last night demanding that this
be completed at once and the lists
be forwarded 10 the adjutants gem
eral of the States.
One Southern board has the entire
system badly tangled. 1t segregated
the registrants' cards into groups of
the 1S-year-old men, the 10 and Do
year-olds, the 80 to J5 inclusive and
the 81 to 45. It then assigned serial
numbers in each class, beginning in
each class with one and going up.
In this way there were four ones
one district.
Orders New Serial Numbers.
When Gen. Crowder was advised
OF this situation, he ordered an en-
tire new serial number ALLEGATION for
registrants of that district. The
cards were all to be shuffled, and
the serial numbers assigned in order
Cor all registrants according to the
regulations.
1t is still possible to hold the draw
ing on the 18th, If word is received
from all the focal boards that the
serial numbers have been assigned.
Gen. Crowder sent out a new man.
nal for legal advisory boards yester-
day. 1t covers many of the difficult
problems in answering the question
naire.
He points out that. the need for
speed in classification to mobilize the
man power OF the country is great.
and while the local boards have au-
thOrity to put registranIs in deferred
classes for dependency, even il not
claimed. and to suggest to the district
boards deferred classifications for oc-
cupational grounds, yet the need for
speed is so great that they may over
look such cases. The duty is to the
individual to make the claim, and
there is no brand of slackerdom on
one who does.
Additional Official returns from
States on the September L registra-
ton show that Arizona registered
$3.50 against an estimate of 1874:
Louisiana 299.129 against 212,5So, and
Mhntana 1OG7Si against 117,708. Cor
rected figures for Oregon show IOs, $50
registered against a preliminary esti-
mate of S4,+O4.
Registrants are warned that the
burden is on them to get the oues-
tionnaires and return them to their
local boards within the seven DAYS
allowed.
Must Make All just Claims.
Legal advisers are instructed to
see that registrants make claims
for deferred classifications. where
ever such are proper. and that a
registrant should make claims for
deferred classification on as many
grounds as he has. even though they
seem to be conflicting. Thus one
may be classified in class on oc-
cupational grounds and class on
dependency.
The legal advisory boards are In
structed to see that married men
who do not make the dependency
claim. sign the formal waiver af-
fidavit. and that similar affidayits
are signed by their dependents. SO
that there can be no confusioh later
Oependency SuMcfent REASON.
Attention is called to the defint-
tion of the condition of dependency,
This matter is up to the local
boards, but a person is held to be a
dependant under the regulations
who receives from reeistrant
reasonably adequate support =
''The question of whether a wife IS
able to support herself is not an
ISSUE" says Col. Warren, executive
officer of the Provost Marshal Cen
erals office.
Registrants are advised that In
formation regarding health is to b-
held as confidential.
Finally the instructions advise
that the assistance of attorneys in
filling out the questionnaires and il,
acknowledging tho necessary af-
fidavits is to be free. Every law
yer should deem it privilege and
a patriotic duty" says the manual