Evening star., 1940-10-13
Officials Complete
Preparations for D. {,
Draft Registration
Meetings Will Be Held
Tomorrow to Issue
Specific Instructions
BY THOMAS C. HARDMAN.

1Or tne go signal winch Will SET
in motion the history-making
peacetime CONSUMPTION of man
power throughout the Nation at Z
am. Wednesday.
Federal authorities were notified
by the District Commissioners yes
terday that preparations are COM
pleted for the registration Of an
estimated $4,000 Washingtonians
whose ages range from 81 to 36-
the first step in the city's part of
the compulsory military training
program.
When. these men present their
names for registration Wednesday
between the hours of Z am. and
8 pm, they will turn the wheels of
as massive a unit Of organization
machinery as the District has ever
produced.
The city has been divided into "a
geographical sections-Draft Board
areas for the purpose of the pro-
gram-and in each area two regis
tration centers have been desig-
mated to record data on conScrip-
ton elgibles residing therein.
There are two exceptions, one
area requiring but q single center
and two areas in another section
requiring a total of three centers.
Schools to Serve IS CenterS.
In each area designated schools
will serve as centers, with the
principals of the schools acting as
chief registrars and the $500
teachers in the District educational
system forming the nucleus of the
registration staff. 1t has been nee
essary to enroll 3,700 volunteers to
bring the corps of registrars to the
required total.
Assistant Superintendent OF
Schools Chester w. Holmes, who is
in charge of the registration
throughout the city, said last night
that scores of communications
were being received from persons
who had volunteered to serve but
had found since their offers were
made they will be unable to do so.
Their places are being filled readily,
DR.. Holmes said, from a list of re-
serve volunteers.
The first task under the conscrip-
ton program will be left with the
registrars, and to give them specific
instructions as to what will be ex-
pected of them, DR.. Holmes has ar
ranged meetings for the entire corps
tomorrow afternoon and night. In
dividual notices have been sent out
announcing the details Of the gath
eringS.
Scheduled also for tomorrow l:
a conference between heads of the
Districts correctional institution,
and a representative of the selective
service administration to discuss de.
tails of registering draft-age men ir
the institutions as they are released
such procedure being required in the
selective service regulations.
Cox Expected to Attend.
Present at the conference will bt
Ray Huff, general superintendent
of penal institutions in the Dis.
trict; Capt. Thomas M. Rives
superintendent of the District Jail
Claude o. Botkin. superintendent Of
Lorton Reformatory, and Arthur L
Petit, superintendent of the Deco.
quan Workhouse. Brig. Gen. Albert
L. Cox, selective service executive
for the city, likely will attend the
conference.
Registrars will make out two cards
for each registrant, one to be re-
tanned for future use and the othel
given to the registrant for identifi.
cation. Registrants are warned
they must carry the cards at al
times. 1t has been recalled that ir
1917 men unable to produce card!
often were rounded up on suspicion
of being draft dodgers.
At the close of registration day
cards retained at the centers vii
be turned over to the Office OF the
selective service executive and latel
placed in charge of the most re.
sponsible groups in the entire con-
scription machinery-the local draf
boards.
In the District "a local boards have
been appointed, one for each area
with a membership of five on each
board. A vast majority OF the ap'
pointees had been sworn in at Sc.
lective service headquarters last
night, and it is expected that few
necessary substitute board nomina-
tions and the completion OF the
swearing in ceremonies will be real.
lied within the next two days.
Will Post Copy Of Numbers.
Vested in the local boards is the
task of determining who will be
called out for military service and
who deferred. The Districts draft
boards, to be located in offices vel
to be selected, will take the registra-
ton cards turned over to them from
centers in their respective areas
shuttle them thoroughly and mum.
ber them serially. A copy Of the
numbers will be posted outside the
boards ONCE. Anybody may see
them.
The draft spotlight then will be
ready to swing toward the Federal
Government. At National Selective
Service headquarters, list of seria,
numbers will be made up long
enough to cover the maximum
length of any local boards list
Each number will be enclosed in
non-transparent, blue-lined capsule
and the capsules placed in a big
bowl, probably the same one used In
the 1917 draft. They will be stirred
with a ladle, again probably the
same one employed % years ago.
Some high ofncial, quite possibly
President Roosevelt, will be blind
folded to draw the first number
Other numbers will be drawn until