Evening star., 1940-10-16
D. G. Druft
Continued From First Page)

ised that aid would be dispatched
to the center as quickly as possible.
Mr.. Hszen said he considered reg
istration conditions generally in the
city to be progressing in a COM
mendable manner considering the
"newness Of the job"
Shortage of registrars at Hine
Junior High School was solved when
the chief registrar sWore in four
young men who volunteered their
services Immediately after being
registered.
Commissioner David McCoach and
J. Russell Young also began in
spection visits to the centers later
in the morning.
In several cases, miscalculations
in pre-registration estimates on a
relative basis for two schools in a
given area appeared responsible for
the personnel and supply shortage.
In Area No. 9, Stevens School, where
822 were expected to register during
the entire day, had counted more
than that figure in the first three
hours, while Gordon Junior High
School in the same area was falling
far short of It's expected total.
Opening OF registration at am.
found at least $500 prospective reg
istrants waiting in long queues at
the doors of the centers. An air of
back -slapping hilarity reminiscent
of a wartime send-of was present
as the men joked with each other
and jumped about to warm them
selves in the crisp morning air.
Lines Form Early.
Several instances were reported
of men staying awake all night to
be the first to register in their re-
spective areas, and many lines be-
gan forming as early as 4 am.
In most of the rly-morning
lines were workmen clad in the garb
OF construction laborers, gas sta
tior attendants and truck drivers.
Others wore business clothes, ap-
parently intent on getting the task
of registering over before business
hours.
The first official registration was
called in to selective service head
quarters from Calvin Coolidge High
School, though in one or two in
stances centerS were reported open
a few minutes before the designated
time.
Reported first officially registered
was Edwin S. Brockwell of 5741 COL
orado avenue NV. He was signed
up by Miss Mary S. Bedwell, the
procedure requiring five minutes.
His registration was reported to
Col. Charles A. bravo, assistant Sc
lective executive, by Maj. Sidney
Morgan of the District National
Guard, who is stationed at the
Coolidge School today.
1900 at Dunbar School.
One of the most serious bottle
necks in the registration machinery
was reported at Dunbar High
School, where Chief Registrar Wal
ter L. Smith said that one hour and
a half after the doors we're opened
the school was packed with 1,200
would-be Observation-Disclosures the
entire number expected as maxi
mum at that center.
Mr.. Smith said he had been in
structed to have 40 registrars on
duty; he opened with 46, and in the
emergency brought 10 into service,
still an entirely insufficient number.
Young colored men were jammed
five deep in a line winding through
the corridors, and a plea for as
sistance was made Immediately to
headquarters.
Several hundred reporting to reg
lister at Dunbar were sent to the
other registration center in the area,
Langley Junior High School.
Similarly, the jam of morning reg
istrantS overtaxed the staff at the
Thomson School and at Taft Junior
High School. Flying squadron" re-
serves were dispatched hurriedly
from Central and Western High
Schools to relieve the congestion.
Calls for Aid Received.
The first call for aid came IS min
utes after registration began, from
the Henry D. Cooke School, and
others followed at frequent intervals.
Special squads of registrars were
formed when requests began coming
in at headquarters for assistance in
the registering of i'll eligibles con-
fined to their homes.
One conscientious objector regis
tered at Western High School, where
nearly 1000 lined up shortly after
the doors were opened. He was David
Busey, 81, of 2101 Thirty-seventh
street NV, who said he was a
preacher for Jehovah's Witnesses.
At more than Is centers, the regis
trar personnel had to be augmented,
in some cases doubled, during the
first three hours of registration.
Special police details were placed
on duty at most of the points to
keep lines moving slowly to build
ing entrances where. in most in
stances, high school cadets were on