The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-21
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

RAISING thing that has happened to a No. 1853
that l know of happened right here in Wash
ington-or at least just across the District line
in one of the suburbs.
He is % years old. His family is prominent
in the community and comparatively we'll off.
He was something of a football hero and just
about a perfect physical specimen. He al
ways has been quite a favorite in the neigh
borhood.
When Secretary of War Stimson plucked 1853
out of the s%elective service fish bowl and
made him No. l selectee in his district and
the lad announced that he was proud and
ready to go Immediately, the neighborhood
went into an orgy of patriotism.
The young man was wined and dined. The
American Legion post gave a banquet in his
honor. So did the D. A. R.. He made speeches
at the high school and the nearby college he
had attended.
He spoke solemnly from the pulpit of his
church. His girl gave a romantic touch to the
hysteria by announcing they were engaged to
be married Immediately after Johnny comes
back from training"
1t went On for weeks.
LOST HIS TURN
Finally the lad made a visit to his local
board to find out just how soon he would be
called-and discovered that SO s~electees in
his district had volunteered, had been CLASH
fled and under the rules of selective service.
had been given induction numbers ahead of
his.
The chances are Johnny won't be called be-
fore next summer if then-and no amount of
pleading or pull can get him ahead of the
boys over whom no fuss was made-the boys
who enlisted and were found suitable for
Class la and immediate call.
Johnnys only chance of escaping the iibes
OF his pals while he waits around to be called
IS to enlist and get accepted-for three years
service-in the regular Army. At least that's
what the selective service officials tell me.
This enlistment Of selectees by the hundreds
OF thousands has, by the way, borne out a pre-.
diction passed along in these columns nanv
weeks ago, namely, that first year "calls'
from the Army will get very few, if any. Sc
@lectees who haven't enlisted, no matter what
their order numbers are.
One draft official told me recently that he
estimates more than 400, 900 s~electees Cor men
oes1rlng TO get into the regular armed forces)
had enlisted or applied to their local boards
for immediate induction since s~elective serv.
Ice became a certainty. And that he believes
present trends indicate this many more will
for them.
be on the rolls by the time the Arn,v l. ro,au
WIN Pih HS1pd 1SdSOlS lOT Cnl1StmS ntS
by selectees, draft officials find. is that vol,ns
men just out of college, and not yet started
on thelr professional careers are eager 'ro
get 1t over with before they take a turn at
making their marks in the world.
Although no check has been made, it is
though MT that by far the greater number of
selectees applying for immediate induction
are young doctors, dentists, lawyers, engi-
neers and tyros in other professions.
ANOTHER RUSH SEEN
Another rush of these young graduates to
the colors is expected as soon as the COLLEGES
close their first term sessions in January,
Practically an avalanche of enlistments is an
uclpated when the school year ends in June.
An interesting paradox which has put prz-
lied burrows in the heads of Army and draft
officials is that although they have sought.
by all means of publicity, to make Army life
as attractive as possible, they have had to do
everything in their power to prevent (unti]
the Army can handle them that rush tn the
colors that invariably comes with patriotic
h~ysteria. !