Evening star., 1940-06-14
u. 5. Urged TO Set Up
Draft Machinery
Immediately
Men Would Be CoIIed
At Congress Discretion
Under Proposal
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
A proposal that Congress set up
machinery Immediately for draft
ing manpower in & national emer-
gency, but that it retain the right
to say when this machinery should
be placed in operation. is being ad-
vanced in various military and con-
gressional circles.
Advocates said that the plan
= would cut q month from the time
required to mobilize large numbers
of men in any situation which Con-
gress deemed to warrant such
action.
If a selective service law were
enacted now, the proponents con-
tended, approximately $500 local
boards necessary to help administer
1t could be appointed at once. Regu-
lations and registration forms could
be printed and issued to them.
The system then would be ready
to swing into action at any time, on
orders from Capitol Hill, and ex-
perts believe it would have the first
men reaching Army camps within
80 days thereafter.
No Hint Of Army Support.
There has been no indication In
any quarter that the Army wants
to institute selective service in the
near future. Gen. George c. Mar
shall, chief of staff, has expressed
the opinion that ordinary methods
of recruiting volunteers would be
sufficient to bring the Regular Army
to the 375,000 strength for which
Congress is now voing funds.
Whether sentiment in Congress
for enactment of a selective service
law will reach substantial propor-
tions is a matter Of conjecture.
Most members of the House Mill
tary Committee are opposed to en-
actment at this time of such = Sc
lective service bill as a joint Army
and Navy committee long has had
ready for passage in an emergency.
This measure would give full au-
thority directly and Immediately to
the President.
The Selective service laws under
which 24,000, 900 men were registered
and many called to the colors during
the World War lapsed at the end
Of that emergency, and the Presi-
dent now has no authority to re-
create the system.
Would Follow World War Law.
The law projected by the Standing
Army and Navy Committee on
Selective Service would closely fol-
low the final form OF the World War
statutes. 1t authorizes the President
to register, select and induct into
the land and naval forces raen from
such age groups between Ii and As
as he may prescribe.
A draft under this statute would
be conducted along these general
lines:
On a day set by the President, all
men between the prescribed ages
probably 21 to Sd would register
in their voting precincts.
Each local board would then
shuttle the registration cards hap
hazard and give then serial numbers
according to the accidental sequence
resulting.
At national headquarters, as ulany
numbers as there were persons reg
istered in the largest precinct would
be placed in a huge gold fish bowl
if the former method were followed
exactly-and these would be drawn
out blindly.
The order in which the numbers
came out of the bowl would deter
mine the order of the registrants'
liability for selection.
Three Classes.
Within few days each registrant
would receive QUESTIONABLE, which
would give the local board q basis
for putting him in one OF these
classes:
l. Available for service immedi-
ately.
2. Deferred because of the i'm
portance to the Nation Of the serv-
ices being performed in civilian life.
3. Deferred because OF dependents.
4. Deferred by law or because Of
insanity, physical unfitness or
alienage.
When required to draft 4 certain
number Of men, national headquar-
ters would issue general call" en-
each State for a quota proportionate
to its class I Sfrenoth