The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-10
TAKE NON PRODUCERS.
PLAN OF PURIFTCATION FOR
GLASSES OF DRAFT.
Under Suggestion Submitted to Presi-
dent by Provost Marshal Generals
Office Status OF Every Registered
Man Will be Affected.

| Washington, April 5.-Drastic modi-
fication of the draft classification lists
which would affect in one way or an
other, the status of every one of the
millions of registered men is proposed
I'm 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 1, and the
effect it's trainers believe. would be
to solve the nations labor problem
and largely increase the ouput of the
necessities Of life.
The proposal would utilize the draft
machinery for putting industrial
slackers to work. Every registered
man who has been granted deferred
classification would be given to under.
stand that such deferred classification
is not legal right but privilege and
that If unfair advantage is taken OF
that privilege it will be summaril,
revoked
1t is proposed to make most care
full survey Of the lower sections OF
Class and Of other classes to iden-
tify those men who are idlers or who
are gaining their living through un-
desirable or harmful pursuits. Un-
der the latter head, officials suggest
might be listed gamblers, bookmakers
for races, poolroom touts and others
Formal notice would be served upon
these men that unless within a speci-
fled time they obtained employment in
some useful industry, they would have
their classification changed SO as to
send them into military service, i'm
mediately. =
The plan is not designed to inter-
fere in the slightest with the socalled
non-essential industries. These may
Iihe afrected TO ,some slight. desree, bui
}6ihclki ~ sdelf 80
set many times over by the resulting
national good to>be obtained from the
augmented labor supply.
Administration officials who have
participated in the preparation of the
plan declare that the next step would
be to obtain an industrial classified
tion of the man power Of the country
up to the age of so years.
To make the program fully effective
it is intended to utilize the existing
local boards virtually as employment,
agencies for their districts. Accurate
reports would be kept as to the vacan-
cies existing in the neighborhood and
when man was informed that he
must seek a useful occupation he
would be told where just such a man
as his QUESTIONABLE shows him to be
was needed
The status of men on the classified
lists. both in Glass 1 and in the defer
red classes. in the opinion Of the pro-
vost marshal generals office would be
improved. Delinquents who did not
heed the warning would be induced
into the military service, reducing the
number Of men to be called from Glass
1. This would operate to delay still
further the date when the service OF
men in Glass might be needed. This
fact is expected to draw to the aid of
the ''purification'' relatives and
friends Of boys who are about to be
called.
That determined opposition to the
plan will develop in some quarters has
been foreseen. The effect upon the
labor market Of the drafting of many
! thousands of ablebodied workers
might be to reduce the present wage
scales. The economic balance will be
Kept even. however, according to the
cham pions of the program by the re-
duction in the cost of life's necessities
through increased output.
No indication has been given Of the
attitude which the president will take.