Evening star., 1940-10-04
Draft Law Designed
1oAvert Mistakes
0fPast, Bar Told
Core Taken Against
Exemptine Any One
Group, O'KeIIiher Soys

The new selective service law has
been built with a view to avoiding
the mistakes of previous draft legis-
lation, especially those Civil War
laws, which we're great failures" !"
according to 1t. Col Victor J. O'Kel-
liner, chairman of the Advisory
Council at National Selective Serv-
Ice Headquarters.
Both the compulsory service act
Of the Confederacy in 1862 and the
Northern draft of 1863 were pro-
nounced failures, Col. O'Kelliher
told the Federal Bar Association at
q luncheon meeting yesterday at
Schneider's Restaurant.
Troubles of those old acts were
carefully outlined in a historical
study by Gen. Oakes, provost mar
shal general of Illinois, Col. OKelli-
her said and the "do nots" of this
important work were carefully
avoided in the latest law.
One of the principal recommended
tions of Gen. Oakes to be followed,
he said, was to take the administra-
ton Of the draft out of the hands OF
the military authorities and place
1t In the hands of civilians and
neighbors.
Built on Experience.
This present act. with its pro-
visions for local draft boards of ci-
villains with large authority" he
explained, was built on the do
nots' of Gen. Oakes and the expert
ence gained from the draft act of
the World War"
To call the new legislation "selec-
tive service" the colonel said, was in
reality a "misnomer." He said its
purpose is "to muster the man power
of the Nation between 81 and 35,
inclusive"
Il is a mistake to call the new
selective Service Act the first peace
time compulsory military training
law" Col. OKelliher said The
first such act was passed in May,
1892. he explained, and was signed
by George Washington. Under 1t
every able-bodied free white man
between 18 and 45 was required to
enroll with an enrolling officer in
his dictrict. to train, and be subject
TO service. Furthermore, he said, the
man had to furnish all his own
supplies, including his gun, ammu-
milton and his clothing and food for
himself. II he belonged to the
dragons, he had to supply his horse
and feed it.
Class Exemption Avoided.
One of the biggest changes made
in the modern act from the old
World War act, Col. OKelliher said
was to avoid exempting any one
group of people, such as were
exempted in the emergency fleet
during the World War. One
important Government department
here recently made the mistake. he
said, of asking that all its employees
be exempted from the new law.
Every individual now must be con-
sidered on his own merits by the
local draft board, he explained.
Pointing out the public apparently
thinks more men will be called here
than actually will be required. Col.
OKelliher asserted, Its a good bet
that there Is about one chance in
100 Of a man being drawn for ser
vice"
One reason for this, he said, is the
large National Guard, for which the
city gets credit in military man
power.
DIR. Gil Is Guest.
DR.. Enrique Gil of Buenos Aires,
official representative Of the FEEDER
alton of Bar Associations of Argen-
tina, explained his country has
compulsory military training and is
livery happy with it."
1t was announced the annual din
ner dance of the Federal Bar Asso-
citation would be held October 18
at Congressional Country Club. The
principal speaker will be Associate
Justice Wiley Rutledge of the United
States Court Of Appeals.
The luncheon meeting was pre-
sided over by Heber H. Rice, presi-
dent Of the association.