Evening star., 1940-11-09
Dykstra Emphasizes
High Fitness Required
Of SeIectees
Medical Advisory Boards
Qualified to Determine
Soundness Is Advised
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

Only men of the highest physical
and mental fitness should be sent to
military training camps, Selective
Service Director c. A. Dykstra told
the Governors of all the States in
letter made public today.
The letter, which went to the Dis
trict Commissioners, stressed the
Importance of naming regional med
ical advisory boards of recognized
ability and established reputa ton"
These boards will pass on the
physical or mental condition of men
selected for training whenever ply
sicians attached to local draft boards
are in doubt. Each advisory board
will include a surgeon. orthopedist,
internist, psychiatrist and dentist.
This array of specialists DR..
Dykstra wrote, lis provided so that
expert professional opinion may be
available to examining physicians.
local boards and appeal boards to
assist in the classification IF regis
trants whose physical or mental
qualifications are in question.
Saves Double Disappointments. 81.
1--WE rely on these specialists to-
assist in providing that no man
shall be passed as physically and
mentally fit by selective service TN
less he can serve without harm to
himself and with benefit 70 the
armed services. The better the
physical examinations carried out
in the selective service process, the
fewer will be the lumber of men re-
jected at induction stations and re-
quired to pick up again the ways Of
civilian life and to regain the jobs
they had understood they had left
for a year"
Selectees will be examined again
by the Army regardless of the physi-
cal tests CARED out under direc-
ton of the draft boards. This is
routine. selective service officers
pointed out, and gives the Army
doctors chance to make any addi-
tional tests that may be indicated
and to recommend rejection of men
who, for one reason or another, they
do not consider qualified. The Army,
in fact, has the right to reject
without explanation any man sent
to an induction camp by a draft
board.
Qualified Physicians Appointed.
Reports received at headquarters,
DR.. DykStra said, indicate the Gov
ernors are naming well-qualifled
physicians to the advisory boards.
Judging by the roster of local
board physicians appointed and the
list of medical advisory board Spe-
cialists submitted to u.s." he ex-
planned, there can be no doubt
that the selective service trainees
they approve will be splendid ex-
amples of physical and mental fit
ness"
With more than 5000 drafG boards
sending out the first patches Of
questionnaires-t basis of classi-
fcation for military service or defer
ment-and the answers beginning to
come back, the actual process of
Selective service is well under way.
While the men have five days to
fill out their questionnaires and get
them back to the boards, some are
doing it even more quickly, accord
ing to reports, and men already are
being classified in some areas.
Indications are that volunteers
will fill to a large extent the small
early quotas assigned the States by
the War Department and perhaps
much of the larger later quotas
Some boards have reported a rush
of volunteers.
Those willing to take their years
training at this time are classified
at once, ahead of others on the
registration list, regardless of
whether the volunteers hold early
or late lottery numbers.
Otherwise the questionnaires are
sent out in strict regard to the order
numbers determined at the lottery
on October 30. The vital, exacting
work of classifying, which is left en-
tirely to the judgment of the COM
munity boards, except for the right
of appeal, is being carried out grad
ually as men are needed. Some
registrants far down the lottery list
will not receive their questionnaires
before next summer, and some, per-
haps, never.
~ III cV