Evening star., 1940-11-18
First Se|ectees
Take Oath for
Army Service
3e3 Are Vanguard
Of 800, 900 to Be
Called This Year
By NELSON M. SHEPARD.

By NELSON M. SHEPARD.
The first peace-time induction Of
|selective service men into the
United States Army got Of to an
Irregular start today but will pick
up speed this week.
Unlike the initial mass induction
under the 1917 war draft. only 1877
selectees in only three of the nine
Army Corps Areas-the vanguard Of
800 900 who must await summons
took the oath that binds them to one
year of Federal service.
Between now and November 80,
however, the long arm of Uncle Sam
Twill have reached into all the geo.
graphical areas to claim some 1871
men for the expanding peace-time
regular Army. This was the num-
ber actually requisitioned in the first
call officials disclosed today, instead
of the anticipated maximum of
10000.
The second call for selectees, Off
cials said, probably will be postponed
until after the Christmas holidays.
New England, home of the Minute
Men" in bygone defense era, led
the way for the Nation in today's
inductions. Comprising the 1st
Corps Area, the six New England
Estates began Inducing an overall
first-call quota of 984 men shortly
after o'clock. The difference In
time zones put them ahead of the
oti1er two areas inducing men today.
Chicago Supplies 100 Men.
Chicago, headquarters of the Sixth
Corps Area, was to supply 100 of the
selestees while the remaining 293
! were to come from the Ninth Area
ION the West Coast. Beginning to-
morrow, men will begin trooping into
local draft board induction stations
over the country. The Third Corps
Area, embracing the District of Co
lumbia, Maryland and Virginia, has
requisitioned 1.100 men. They start
becoming soldiers on November q
In the District, in Baltimore on the
25th. BY November % the induction
will have been completed through
out the area.
The answer to the surprisingly
low figure in the first call, officials
said, lies in the tremendous squirt
of volunteer enlistments in the
Regular Army and National Guard
before and since the drawing of
numbers on october %. Many
Guard units already are beyond
their maximum strength. Local
sdraft boards are allowed to deduct
volunteers from their quotas. The
rush upset the calculations of the
corps area commanders. &
In the Second Corps Area, fors
instance, the induction date has
been postponed until November 80.
1t embraces populous New York,
New Jersey and Delaware, from
which $3.50 men were requisitioned.
The Fourth Corps Area In the South
is all upset, due to the large number
Of volunteer enlistments. Off1cials
said it is probable an estimated
3,400 men will be inducted sin a
lump on one day" early in December,
II not before.
100000 in Army and Guard.
Other areas and the numbers
requisitioned are: Fifth, 1,718; Sixth,
1873; Seventh, 1,576; Eighth, 2,486,
and Ninth, 1890
Volunteer enlistments have
brought the Army and National
Guard to record peacetime
strength of more than 100000 men
to date, officials said. Of that
number, approximately 375,0O0 are
in the Regular Army, which is about
up to its authorized strength. BY
June 80 the combined armed
strength Of the land forces will
reach 100000 men or slightly
under.
Now that the selectees are be-
ginning to report to their local
stations, Army officials say the rest
will be simple and routine.
Thorough Examination.
On arrival at the induction sta
ton, each selectee will be given a
thorough physical examination by
Army doctors in search for possible
physical defects overlooked in earlier
examinations. Those finally accepted
viii be fingerprinted, initial nota-
Hons will be made in their service
record books and they will take the
oath of allegiance. The. rejected
man will be given transportation
home.
Each group of new soldiers will
have its own leader, who will be
responsible for them in reporting to
the 81 reception centers already es-
tablished. Ultimately there will be 20
centers. Each man will be given q
copy of his credentials and orders.
The stay at reception centers will
be limited to only few days. The
new soldiers first will be QUILTED In
uniforms-some with the Checker"
collars-others with the latest issue
depending on the supply at hand.
Next in order will be their initiation
to an assortment of shots" to guard
against everything from pneumonia
to smallpox. Then after reasonable
wait, they will be sent to replace
ment centers for the training that
will never let up while they are in
Uncle Sans Army.
After period of weeks, when
some Of the kinks are ironed out,
they will be called to fill up the
duotas Of regular Army and National
Guard units. The regular Army will
get most of them.
II merirn Hall W~>J