Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-24
Police Will Escort
Draft Goldfish Bowl
Here This Afternoon
Guard of Honor Will
Accompany Receptacle
From Philadelphia
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.


From PhiIodeIp PHO
The historic goldfish bowl" used
In the first World War draft lot
terry, and cast for similar role next
Tuesday in the peacetime selective
service lottery of 1910, was sched-
uled to arrive from Philadelphia
Independence Hall under police
escort this afternoon.
The relic, called out Of honored
retirement and ordered to active duty
again, left Philadelphia at 10 m. in
a municipal automobile, guarded by
dignitaries. The plans called for
Pennsylvania motorcycle police to
escort the bowl to the Delaware
line, where Delaware police would
take over the convoy. 1t was to be
escorted into Washington by Mary
land State police.
The bowl will be housed at ma
tional selective service headquarters,
Twenty-flrst and c streets NV,
when President Roosevelt will open
the lottery that will place in order
OF call for possible military service
close to 100000 registered men.
Capsules Ready.
With the arrival of the bowl the
simple implements of chance needed
for the lottery will be assembled.
There already are 10000 large blue
capsules waiting at headquarters.
Not all these, of course, will be
stuffed with numbers. Perhaps
10000 will be, but the rest are held
In reserve. 1t is figured a certain
number may be defective or dam
aged in stufhng.
The history of the lottery bowl
before that June day in 1917 when
the first numbers for the World
War were drawn in the Senate Office
Building is yelled in mystery. 1t
might. like many another inanimate
celebrity, have quite story to tell.
The saga of the bowl as related
by veteran War Department en-
ployes, though they do not vouch for
its accuracy, goes like this:
When it came time for the first
lottery in 1917, somebody pointed
out that container for the num-
bers was needed. A large bowl
would do. Somebody started to write
out a requisition. Some section
chief looked up the law and the
regulations and declared there was
no appropriation for a lottery. The
law merely said men should be
called for military duty in some
equitable manner The Government
couldn't buy bowl, this official said.
Employe Buys Bowl.
There was a hasty survey of the
department., but not bowl could be
found. Finally an employee, glowing
with patriotic fever, went out and
bought the bowl with his own
money. He found it in an antique
shop.
Whether this glass shape, destined
to affect the fate of millions, ever
was used as place of lodging for
goldfish is in doubt, though it is
known as the goldfish bowl. It may
have held flowers or been one of
those mysterious ornaments that
cluttered drawing rooms of the last
- century.
The hardest job connected with
the lottery-the stuffing of the CAP
sules with the inch-long numbered
slips-is to begin tomorrow Six
civilian employees at selective service
headquarters have been assigned to
the task and more will be available
II needed.
Officials figure 1t will take So
hours to fill the capsules consider
ably longer than 1t will take to pull
them out at the lottery. Meticulous
care is necessary. they pointed out,
to see that every capsule has num-
Der and that all are inclosed prop
erly. So the suffers have been
asked to go slowly. They may take
until Monday if need be.
Drawing to Be Broadcast.
Physical arrangements for the
lottery we're being completed today
by Capt. Ernest M. Culligan, public
relations officer at selective service
headquarters, and committees rep
resenting the Washington CORE
spondents, radio networks, photog-
raphers and newsreel men. The
opening of the event will be re-
corded in every detail for the whole
country.
President Roosevelt will deliver a
brief address as he ushers in the
= lottery. The first number will be
drawn by Secretary of War Stimson.
Other high officials will preside at
the bowl during the early part of
the ceremony. Afterward relays of
Government employees will continue
the marathon drawing until the last
number is pulled-perhaps Is hours
later.
DR.. Clarence A. Dykstra, director
of selective service, sent out today
to $500 local draft boards manual
of information for the guidance of
clerks who are preparing the regis
tration lists for the lottery and the
classification to follow. Stressing
the importance of accuracy in COM
numbering the cards and carrying
out the other details, the instruc-
tons said:
However unintentional and in
nocent an error may be, it is always
possible that registrants and their
friends may charge that the local
board and members of it's clerical
staff are unjust"
Most of the boards we're reported
completing their counts and the
posting of names and serial numbers
rapidly. 1t was expected all would
be finished by the week end.
A. After the serial numbers of
registrants have been juggled
through the lottery each man will
be given a new number counted in
the order in which the capsules are