Evening star., 1940-10-04
Draft Leaders
Await Approval
OF President
127 D. c. Nominees
Names Sent to
White House

dents nominated by the CommlS-
sioners yesterday to serve on "a
local area draft boards and board
of appeals that will handle selection
and deferment of men in the Wash
ington area under the Selective
Service Act.
Names of the nominees will not
be made public until the appoint
ments have been made by President
Roosevelt and the list is returned
to the Commissioners for them tc
release. The White House declared
that this procedure would be fol-
lowed also in the cast of draft boards
nominated by the various States.
Brig. Gen Albert L. Cox, selectlve
service executive for the District
who conferred with the Commits
sioners for three hours yesterday
before the nominations were sent tc
the White House, said today thai
the 127 nominees had been picked
bv the Commissioners from about
200 men he had recommended for
the positions,
Board Members Increased.
It had been planned originally to
nominate three-man boards for each
registration area, but on the Sug-
gestion of Gen. Cox, who said that
Federal selective service officials had
approved the idea, the Commission
ers yesterday decided to nominate
five men for each board.
The Board of Appeals will be COM
prised of two physicians, two repre-
sentatives of the general public, one
businessman, one representative OF
organized labor and an attorney
chairman. The seven nominees for
this board were chosen from a group
of II suggested by Gen. Cox.
Yet to be selected by the Com
rnissioners are the Government
agency representatives and the phy-
sicians who will act as advisers on
registration day, October l6. Gen.
Cox said that he was IN process of
preparing lists to submit to the
Commissioners to help them make
selections. These designations, too
must be approved by the White
House.
Another consultant group, which
does not require presidential ap-
proval but which remains to be
picked by the Commissioners, is
the Registrants Advisory Board,
one member of which will be at
each registration center to protect
civil rights of registrants.
Blood Test Rejected.
rr,l.a cjO Yesterday re-
jected the suggestion made by
Health Officer George C. Rutland
that all registrants be asked to
submit voluntarily blood samples for
preliminary syphilis tests Such
tests. the Commissioners said, were
not required by Army regulations
and might be confusing. Moreover,
the Commissioners felt that too
much time might be required for
the blood sampling and that as
many as 5000 persons might be
needed in obtaining and testing the
samples.
Gen. Cox said that while no official
orders have been received on the
subject, he understands that no
physical examinations will be made
on registration day. A physician
will be present at each registration
area, but his services will be in a
purely advisory capacity, according
to Gen. Cox. He pointed out that
the registration officers have no au-
thority to reject or select men OF
draft age on October 16, that this
;,o In
boards and will be exercised when
registrants whose numbers are
drawn through lottery method are
called in later
Arriving late from his conference
with the Commissioners, Gen. Cox
outlined yesterday the draft pro-
cedure to members of the Junior
Board of Commerce at their weekly
luncheon at the Annapolis Hotel.
He pointed out that their ages
barred them from serving on the
draft boards, but urged that they
help with the registration work.
call has been issued for $50 Junior
Board members for this aid.
Several requests have come IN
from certain companies for regis
tration cards, offering to register
their own employees and thus save
the draft officials time. Gen. Cox
explained that this was impossible,
since under the law the registration
NAV be handled only by sworn reg
istrars at the registration places.
Emphasizing the need to register
on Octiber 16, Gen Cox told the
members even if they were out OF
town on that day to 60 to the near
est registration center and I'LL out
a card which would be sent to Wash
tngton. Failure to register on that
dav would be considered by the
draft board in the delinquents area,
he explained. and, if the excuse
were good. late registration would
be permitted.
To Hclp Conventions.
In the case Of conventions meet
ing here on October Is. the Districts s
selective service chief said special
registration facilities would be pro-
vided at the meeting place.
He added in connection with the
question of who can handIe reglStra-
tion cards that chief registrars Will
have to give him receipt Tor their
allotment of cards and turn back
every one including those filled out
those not used and even those soiled.
The local boards, though" he
said, ARE the heart of this act
The At chief registrars who will
supervise recording informatlons
about each of the men OF draft age
met Yesterday at Roosevelt High
School to receive instructions in
filling out registration cards and
other arrangements that have been
made for handling the 1896 men
expected to register.
The. registrars, most of them
school principals, were called to-
gether by Dr. Chester w. Holmes,
assistant superintendent of schools,
chief registration officer for the Dis
trict who eXDlained in detail the