Evening star., 1940-11-28
SeIectees Permitted
10 Spend Christmas
Season at Home
Furlows to Be Granted
And Induction Will Be
Suspended Dec. 1-Jon. 3.
By CARTER BROOKE JONES.

BY. CARTER BROOKE JONES.
EvNry selective service man slated
to begin training between Decem-
Der Is and January Sand there
are about $4,000 on the list-will be
allowed to spend the Christmas sea-
son at home, Army officials revealed
today.
The War Department has decided
TO suspend inductionS between those
dates.
Two reasons were given by off,
cials for this Christmas present"
In the first place, they said, the
need was not urgent enough to re-
uuire that men be taken away from
their homes during the Yule season.
Second, many of the units to which
they would be assigned will be de-
pleted by Christmas furloughs, so
that recruits could not train with
them proftably.
Many of the selectees already in
camp will be given Christmas fur
loughs. They will have the same
Regular Army and National Guard
have. 1t will depend largely on how
far their homes are from their
camps. Local commanders will
make the decision.
Inductions to Be Stepped Up.
Selective service inductions will
be stepped up after the first of the
year. They are expected to aver
age 10000 a month between jan
uary and April l. The present
goal of 100000 is due to be reached
by July l. After that the corps
areas will start planning replace
ments for men who soon will COM
plete their years training.
The Post Office Department sug-
gested that relatives and friends
await the more-or-less permanent
address of the new soldiers before
mailing them such gifts as fruit
cakes and mufflerS. In many in
stances. it was pointed out,
trainee's first address may be for
only few dayS>while he is awaiting
assignment.
Trainees going home for the holi-
days will be able to travel on re-
duced fares. The Association of
American Railroads announced
coach fare of l cent a mile from
December IA to January IA between
all points in the country for uni
formed men of the Army, Navy and
Marine Corps.
BY December Is, when inductions
will be suspended until after Christ
mas, the War Department estimates
2O,37O recruits will have been OBJ
tanned through selective service.
Student pilots training under the
Civil AeronauticS Board program
cannot be given blanket deferments
from military duty under selective
service if they are registered, DR..
c. A. Dykstra, selective service di-
rector, held today.
DR.. Dykstra pointed out, however,
that local draft boards had authority
to grant this deferment in individual
cases when evidence indicates that
q registrant is preparing himself
for an occupation necessary to main
tenance of the national health,
safety and interest"
Hospitals Are Praised.
Hospitals, laboratories and other
medical facilities throughout the
country are being offered without
cost to draft board physicians for
the examination of men on the
eligible list, and this is facilitating
mobilization of defense man power,
1t was said today at National Sc
lectve Service headquarters.
This patriotic assistance" said
DR. Dykstra, will enable more
elaborate examination of selective
service registrants than local board
examining physicians could give
them under ordinary circum-
stances"
The selective service regulations,
DR. Dykstra added, provide that
reports of physical examinations
must be confidential and, when
hospitals and other facilities are
used. findings must not be dis
closed to unauthorized persons.