The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-06-27
CLASS OF 1918
AT ATTENTION
National Draft Lottery Affects
744,500 Youths Newly
Come Into Majority.
YEAR WAR BROUGHT CALM
People Less Excited Over His
toric Event Than Over First
Drawing in July, 1917.
YEAR WAR BROUGHT CALM

tASSoCidecu AiSSS'f
Washington. June 27.-Americas
class of 1918 stood at attention today
as the numbers assigned to each young
man attaining his majority in the yeai
ending last June were drawn In the
national draft lottery. Historic events
repeated as from a large glass bowl in
a committee room of the senate office
building were drawn the numbers rep
-resenting 744,500 youths, the majority
of whom within a few months will be
enrolled in the forces fighting for de-
mocracy and against Prussianism.
Secretary Baker, members of the
senate and house military committees
and other high government officials
witnessed the drawing by blindfolded
men of the little capsules from the
bowl, each of the capsules containing
a master number" to be applied in
the $500 registration districts of the
country according to the registration
Depend on Questionnaires.
The setting for the lottery was a
replica of that of July 20 last when
the drawing of 10,500 numbers deter
mined the liability for service of ap-
proximately 10.QOO.0o0 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, however. was
largely occasioned by the fact that to-
days drawing was fraught with only
slight significance owing to the ques-
tionnaire method of classification.
Today's drawing was to determine
only the relative summoning to the
colors of the new registrants as finally
classified by the local boards under the
QUESTIONABLE system. All of the youths
whose numbers were drawn today 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 today's
drawing affect the registrants.
All Called This Year.
Statements made recently by Pro-
vost Marshal General Crowder and
Secretary Baker indicate that all Of
the new registrants placed in class l
will be called before the end of the
year. Accordingly, not more than a
few months will elapse at the most
between the calling of men in class l
whose numbers are among those drawn
first and those whose numbers are
bowl.
The first few numbers to be drawn
were taken from the bowls shortly
after $3.50 o'clock by Secretary Baker.
Later attaches of the offices of Provost
Marshall General Crowder were blind
folded and withdrew the capsules from
the bowl. AS the numbers were drawn
they were announced and written on a
large blackboard. When the black
board was filed, it was removed to be
photographed and another substituted
This operation was repeated during the
more than three hours required for the
drawing.
Official Lists Prepared.
In comparison with the 10.500 num-
bers required to be drawn year ago
only 1900 numbers were drawn today.
The district having the largest num-
ber of men to register June repre-
scented somewhat less than 1000 regis
trants. To provide for late registra-
tions and emergencies it was decided
to draw 1900 numbers. In the largest
number of the districts however, only
the lower numbers will apply.
Official lists of the numbers as drawn
based on the photographs taken of the
will be sent within a few
days to all local draft boards to be
used in placing the men when the
have been returned.