Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-05
Dykstra Tells
Law Officers
Of Draft Puzzles
200 City Officials
Discuss Defense
Cooperation

Emphasizing that proper admin
istration of the draft law is re-
sponsibility of local board officials,
DR.. Clarence A. Dykstra, administra-
tor of the National Selective Service
Administration, today told the Ma
tional Institute of Municipal Law
Ofhcers that nothing should be
done to bring the law into scorn and
obloquy.'
Approximately 200 representatives
of the legal divisions of municipali-
ties throughout the country heard
DR.. Dykstra at the opening meeting
of a three-day conference in the
Mayf1oWer Hotel in which forms of
cooperation on defense programs by
Federal, State and city governments
are being discussed.
Mr.. DykStra discussed machinery
under which the draft is being con-
Quoted and outlined some of the
principal problems facing authori-
ties. He said that general accept
ance of the draft by the American
public is better than it was 80 days
ago.
Directors Rights Problem.
One of the principal problems,
he said, is that of determining the
exact rights of conscientious OBJ
jectors under the law. Rather hui
morously, he added: UNLESS you
have had experience, you can't
imagine how many kinds of con-
scientious DIRECTORS there are, and
we will have more new ones"
What DR.. Dykstra described as
the real challenge is that of get
ting jobs for draftees when they
have completed their year of service.
DR.. Dykstra also told the law Off
GERS of some of the complaints that
had come in when the boards were
organizing. There were charges OF
racial discrimination, political ma
nipulation, lack of labor representa-
ton and other complaints, he said,
and he declared his belief that while
charges of politics had been raised
right In the midst of heated po-
litical campaign, the people gen.
orally did not feel that politics had
entered into the operation of the
law.
The operation of the Alien Regis
tration Act was discussed by Earl
G. Harrison. director of registration,
who said it is estimated now we'll
over 100000 aliens will be regis
tered and f1ngerprinted in the four
month period ending December 26,
as compared to the original estimate
of the Justice Department that the
figure would approximate 100000
Evasions to Be Checked.
When the registration is ended,
Mr.. Harrison said, it will be the duty
of State and local authorities to aid
the department in running down
those cases where there has been a
"willful" failure to register, so prose-
cution may be started. The law has
been so generally observed, however,
Mr.. Harrison said, that it was not
believed there will be a great num-
Der OF such instances.
Attorney General Jackson, who
headed a group of Justice Depart
ment officials taking part in the
conference, said that cooperation
of Federal, State and city officials
Is Indispensable in treating law
enforcement problems arising out
of the defense program.
President Roosevelt sent greet
ings in which he expressed satisfac-
ton at the emphasis laid on de-
tense matters by the institute.
Duty Pointed Out.
ITO safeguard those institutions
of democracy on which all of our
happiness as a Nation rests is our
supreme duty" the President said.
"In the performance of that duty
we need the cooperation of all
citizens. 1t is a source of great
satisfaction to know that we can
depend on the full support of our
municipal law officers in this great
work"
The annual dinner will be held to-
morrow night.