Evening star., 1940-10-23
Height and Weight
Standards Eased
For Se|ectees
Small Men to Be Accepted,
But They Must Be
Physically Sound
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

'HySi$OIiy SOuiiO
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Men called into military training
under selective service may be as
short as feet and weigh as little
as 105 pounds, which reduces the
Regular Army height minimum by
inches. but the standards for
organic soundneSs in professional
soldiers will not be relaxed, it was
shown in a new volume of draft
regulations, Physical Standards,
made public today.
Selective service physicians are in
structed to place men with mild, yet
handicapping defects in Glass 1-B.
available for limited military service,
but none of these men will serve
under present peacetime conditions.
Their. service will be deferred in
definitely.
Medical officers at national selec-
tive service headquarters emphasized
that all men who 60 into training
must be able to do everything
soldier does-contrary to some re-
ports that physical standards in the
present defense program would be
"easy."
Must Undergo Blood Test.
'"The objective" said the instruc-
tions of headquarters to the thou
sands of volunteer draft physicians
who soon will begin examining Sc
lected men, 'is to procure men who
are physically fit for the rigors OF
general service. The registrant must
be able to see well, have compare
lively good hearing, have a heart
able to withstand the stress of ply
sical exertion, be intelligent enough
to understand and execute military
maneuyers, obey commands and
protect himself. and be able to
transport himself by walking as the
exigencies of military life may de-
mand"
Contrary to practice in World War
days, blood test for syphilis will be
part of every physical examination.
No man with any venereal disease
will be accepted.
Minor deviations from the ply
sical norm will not cause disqualifl-
cation. unless these peculiarities are
likely to interfere with military life.
Flat Feet No Disqualification.
For instance, fiat feet, known
medically as pes planus." will not
cause a man to be marked defective,
unless accompanied by marked de-
formity, rigidity or weakness, or is
of such degree as to have interfered
with useful vocation in civil life
Even clubfoot Of slight degree may
be passed up.
The usual Army tests for vision
and hearing will prevail.
There are special tests suggested
for malingerers-men who want to
escape the draft and simulate de-
fects-but the Army doctors don't /.
want to tip these off to those who
may try such dodges.
1--WE have some pretty effective
tests for malingerers," said Regular |
Army surgeon. There are ways of !
detecting those who feign defects of /
sight. hearing or other organic /
troubles
There Are PsychOneur0tics, Too.
In some suspected cases, however,
prolonged observations and repeated !
tests may be necessary, the regula-
.tions point out. The doctors also are
aware Of the patriotic individual who
wants to conceal physical defects.
In addition to the takers, the reg |
ulations explain, there are psyche
neurotics, who are natural COM
planners and try to get out of every |
disagreeable thing in life; perhaps |
only partially conscious of the ma
ture of the seriousness of what they !
do and only partly responsible" 1t .
was added:
"In many the motives are not per- /
sistent and many can be made into .
good soldiers"
But from confirmed pSychOneurOt- |
ics, with long history of nervous |
breakdowns and illnesses, mot much |
can be expected in the way of recon-
struction.'
Psychiatrists will be called in, |
where needed in cases of suspected
mental illness.
No Maximum Weights Given.
Men feet 6 inches tall must
weight at least 165 pounds. Normal, |
or average, weight for a man of that
height is listed as 1884, The normal
weight of 5-footer is 116.
No maximum weights are given.
Reliance is placed in the examining
physicians judgment of whether a
man packs too much weight to make
q good soldier.
"Arny life will bring about some
adjustments in weight" doctor
pointed out. waist lines often
shrink remarkably on the drill field,
while narrow chests fill out"
Further plans for the national
selective service lottery to be held at
noon next Tuesday in the Depart
mental Auditorium disclosed SCI
entifc precision and speed will be
used to list the numbers as they
are drawn from the bowl.
Numbers to Be Photographed.
A special camera, synchronized
with a clock, will photograph each
number and mark the time it was
drawn These lists will be repro
duced on plates and printed for
distribution to every one of the
more than $500 local draft boards
In the country. Selectees will be
called up in the order in which their
registration numbers are drawn.
As each number is called out, it
will be announced over a public
address system, inside and outside
. the auditorium.