Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-07
President Expected
To Appoint Draft
Boards This Week
Announcements Of
Personnel to Be Made
At Stote Capitals
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
The White House is expected to
send out to the States this week
presidential appointments of some
$4,000 members of $500 local draft
boards charged with the task OF
classifying more than 100000
young men and certifying a frac-
tional number for immediate mill
tary service.
The boards were recommended by
the Governors-in the District by
the CommiSsioners-but the selective
service law requires President Roose-
welt to appoint them, together with
smaller number of regional appeal
boards and medical and legal adj
Vlsers to the draft officials
The boards personnel, which was
not made public pending White
House APPROVAL, will be announced
at the State capitals and by the
commissioners here, it was disclosed
today at national selective service
headquarters.
A policy of leaving to each State
announcement of matters connected
with selective service has been
adopted at headquarters, it was
explained.
Will Have Complete Power.
Each draft board member will re-
ceive a commission signed by the
President. Members of the local
boards, as during World War days,
will be the key officials in determin-
Ing which men are to be called out
for service. Subject to check by the
appeal boards, with possible
appeal to the President in knotty
cases. the boards will have complete
power in passing on the eligibility of
men for service.
The boards, however, will be
bound by the law and the regulations
based on it. It will be up to the
boards to act as jury in applying
questions of fact to the law. For
instance, the law defers from train
ing men employed in industries or
occupations necessary to the MAIN
tenance of the national health. safety
or interest" Under this broad def
milton, board must decide whether
a man should be called away from
his vocation.
interpretations may vary in diff
ferent sections of the country, owing
to diverse economic and social fac
tors, though national headquarters
will make an effort, through the
appeal boards, to lay down general
policies applicable to each region.
More Rules Awaited.
The vital matter of classification
and selection will be clarified when
volume 3 of the regulations, already
reported approved by the President,
are issued These regulations. ex-
pected to be made public within a
day or two. probably will interpret,
to an extent, how far the boards
may go in excusing men from imme-
diate service because of dependents.
1t is predicted the boards will be al
lowed enough leeWay to defer all
married men at present. though the
law is specific in permitting defer
ment only of those with persons
financially dependent on them.
Each board will serve population
area of approximately 10000.
National officials who have studied
the Census Bureau charts believe
close to 100000 men between the
draft ages of 81 to 36, without de-
pendents and without occupational
exemptions can be found. The law
allows the training of not more than
100000 indicted men at one time.
The boards will not begin to func-
ton until after registration day, Oc-
tober 16. Board members will have
nothing to do with registration,
which will be carried out by cleo
ton officials or others designated
In Washington by the public school
teachers. The boards will take over
the registration cards. shuttle them
for serial numbers and await the
national lottery in Washington
which viii determine the order in
which those holding serial numbers
will be called for service.
Classification to Follow.
Classification will follow the lot
terry. TO be held between five and 10
DAYS after registration day, and
none Of those who want to volun-
teer for immediate service-and
these are expected to reduce the
first quotas to the vanishing point
IN some communities-will be al
lowed to make this offer until he Is
classified Men with a deferred
status will not be allowed to volun-
teer
1t. Col. Lewis B. Hershey con-
tinues to act, in effect, as pro tenn
pore director of selective service, a
post created by the act, although
the President still delays appoint
ment of a director, who, according
to Indications at the White House,
will be a civilian. Col. Hershey is
executive officer of the Joint Army
and Navy Selective Service Com
mittee, which is administering, the
national draft machinery
Failure of the President thus far
to name a director has confused
preparations to some extent, officers
a. headquarters say privately, be-
cause Col Hershey and his AIDES
have been reluctant to assume too
much authority in matters of policy.