Evening star., 1940-09-08
D. T.. Draft Plan
Details Given;
Quota Is 4,500
At Least 66, 900
Men Would Register
In Precinct Schools
By DON S. WARREN.


A District draft plan. dividing the
city into 10 draft board areas and
using at least 3S schools as centers
Of registration, yesterday was COM
pleted by District officials in CO.
operation with the War Department
and the National Guard and will be
placed before the Commissioners
for action, probably Tuesday.
Under pending legislation at the
Capitol, it is estimated that any
where between $1,000 and 10000
Washington men will have to regis
ter and between 4,500 and 5000 may
be drafted if and when the con-
scription measure is adopted. Exact
figures on registration and the num-
Der to be drafted will depend upon
what House and Senate conferees
agree should be the age limits in the
law and the national quota to be
called out, it was explained.
The plan was drafted by Maj
Beverly c. Snow, assistant Engineer
Commissioner, an officer of the
United States Corps of Engineers;
Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox, command
ing oficer of the District National
Guard, and Col. c. A. Dravo, adju-
tant general Of the District Guard.
Also Covers Organization.
In addition to division of the Dis
trict into 19 local draft board areas
1t calls for establishment of a SIM
liar number of local boards and de-
tailed machinery for the registra-
ton, medical examination, selection
or deferment of selection of those.
registered, using both non-paid civ
ilian board members and as many
as 1,5O0 to 2,500 registrars.
While there was no official an
nouncement on the points, it was
understood that the plan called for
the selection of Gen. Cox as the
District of Columbia selective serv-
ice executive to be appointed by
the Commissioners to head the reg
istration and draft machinery. Also
1t was understood, though not an
nounced, that the District headquar-
tiers for selective service would be
located in the District National
Guard Armory, assuming that the
Commissioners approve the pend
ing tentative arrangements.
Just how many persons might be
drafted from the District will de-
pend on the terms of the Burke
wadsworth bill as finally passed by
Congress AS this measure was
adopted by the Senate, 1t included
a provision limiting to 100000 the
total number of persons that might
be drafted within any one year.
The House raised this figure to
1,000. 900. in approving the measure
last night.
Since each State and the District
would be given a quota under any
draft. on the basis of population, it
has been figured that the call for
men in the District would amount
to one-half of l per cent of the to-
tai called. Under the 100000 Senate
limit, this number from the District
would amount to about 4,5O0 men as
a maximum and 5000 under the
House limit. The actual number
called would depend on the national
quota and the final terms of the
draft act.
Maj. Snow figured, on the basis Of
1917 experience, that if the draft
registration age limits were kept at
81 to 81 years of age it could be ex-
pected that some $1,000 Washington
men would have to be registered. If
the House change of 81 to As in the
age limit prevails, he estimated the
total possible District registration
might be raised to some 165, 900 per-
sons.
AS a general plan, it is explained,
(Copfir,I1od m, pace At Co1,yp,p n