The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-09
Washington Official
Coming To Aid
Ia Redistribution
Cards of All Draft Registrants
To Be Checked Over With OBJ
iect Of Obtaining More Men
For Class One

A complete reclassiRcation Of the
cards OF all draft registrants now on
file with the local draft boards of the
Islands is to be made, it was announced
yesterday, and the work will be super
vised by an official of the provost mar
shal generals department at Wash
ington.
The official who is to take charge Of
the work is reported to he already on
his way to Honolulu. Who he Is or
what is his rank has not been learned.
1t is understood, however, that his mis-
sion is to give first hand information
and assistance to all the territorial
draft officials in studying the present
classifeations Of men who were given
low classification early in the year OF
granted deferred classification. The
object of the reClassifcatiOn is to build
up Glass l so as to provide enough
cligibles to enable the Territory to fill
out its quota of men who are ordered
to be inducted into service by August
90.
1t is anticipated, also, that the Wash
ington draft official will be able to
clear up some of the tangIes and mix
ups that have occurred of late and
which have been causing considerable
perturbation around draft headquar-
ters in Honolulu and have been the oc-
casion Of vigorous discussion and in
some cases of elimination and recrim-
iration.
oficials inexperienced
r. a. h. oil kn
work in the Islands has been perform.
ed by officials who have had no Oppor-
tunity to study the systems in vogue on
the mainland, practically everything
has been done by the book and upon
direct instructions by cable and letter
from the provost marshal general 8 Of
fec at Washington. The first selective
draft officer was appointed directly out
of civilian life and he laid the founda-
tiOns of the work merely by consulting
the sclective service regulations, while
his successor, the present draft head,
was formerly the head Of Local Draft
Board No. l and had no mainland
training.
Hawaii has had more problems to
solve among the cosmopolitan poPula-
tion than almost any other state or ter
ritory of the Union. 1t has had to deal
almost exclusively with races of the
Far East and the Pacific, and in a
majority of these cases with men who
speak but little of the English tongue
and have little understanding of Anglo
Saxon ideas or methods.
The difficulties of race have been
added to by the difficulties of classify
ing men with proper regard for main!
tanning the agricultural industries, not
only to keep the islands business un-
der way, but to conserve food prod
ucts for the Nation. There have been
unusual angles and while the situation
has not by any means become so snarled
that the boards could not continue to
show high percentage of efficiency,
yet the investigation of all records by
an expert will aid in the settlement of
rcclassifications which are now being
made by all the boards.
The complete number of draftees re-
ouired by the army to recruit the First
and Second Hawaiian Regiments to full
war strength must be furnished not
later than August 20.
The boards are going over the list of
! all persons placed in the deferred class
, ification list and the effort will be
made to take large number out and
place them in Glass l.
, Draftces whose wives are holding
positions as teachers or are otherwise
earning salaries will be Immediately
raised to Class !. This will apply to
men in all classes of business and Of
fetal life. A man who has wife who
is capable of earning money will also
be subjected to close investigation and
he will have to explain why she should
/ not 90 to work and let him shoulder q
rifle.
! Say man has been placed in Glass
3.J, which is necessary assistant oil
associate or manager of necessar ry
agricultural enterprise", or, in Glass
3-K, which is a "highly specialized
technical or mechanical expert in
! necessary industrial enterprise -; oil
/ Class 2.D, a necessary skilled indus
trinl. or skilled laborer"; or, Class &c
: which is a necessary skilled farm la
, borpr ".-hc will be placed in lass
if physically fit, provided he has nc
dependents.
If a man who had dependents at the
time of filing out his QUESTIONABLE u
now out of that class by reason OF
such dependents having died, or mar
ried, he will be placed in Class l.