Evening star., 1941-04-16
Action on Drafting
Boys Under II Seen
Al This Session
Army Modifies Ban
On Induction of Men
With Police Records
B. the Associated Press.

B. the Associated Press.
Congress may amend the Selective
Service Act this session to require
military training in future years for
a generally younger group of men
than those in the 2l-35 age group
now subject to the draft.
President Roosevelt told his press
conference yesterday that the sub
ject of changing the age limits was
under study by the War Depart
ment and congressional committees
and that the committees might take
UP the matter formally in early
June. He described as not a bad
idea proposals for universal service
at the age of 18.
Meanwhile, there were these other
developments relating to the selec-
tive service program:
/. Army sources disclosed that the
War Department had modified its
blanket ban against induction of
men with serious criminal records
to permit training of those not con-
sidered undesirable.
2. Selective service headquarters
Increased from five to 10 days the
period in which a prospective
trainee must report for induction
after receiving his order, and local
boards were empowered to extend
the period to 60 days or more when
justified.
Amended Regulations Being Drafted.
Army modification of the prohibi-
ton against convicted felons was
ordered by Gen. George c. Marshall,
chief of staff, and it was said that
amended seleCtive service regula-
tions embodying the new policy were
being prepared.
These regulations would allow in
duction of registrant whose record
showed only one conviction unless
his offense was among those classed
by the Army as ''henious crimes" or
unless he was on parole or probation
or under suspended sentence at the
time of induction.
Heretofore no registrant was &C
ceptable who had ever been convict
ed of a felony, treason, or Infamous
crime"
War Department sources said
enormous pressure" had been ex-
erted by a number of groups seeking
modification of the policy
In addition to those convicted of
"henious crimes registrants will
be barred who have had two or more
convictions of crimes punishable by
more than one years Imprisonment,
and chronic offenders convicted of
three or more misdemeanors, in
cluding alcoholism or drug addic-
tion. also will be ruled out.
The "heinous crimes" listed were
treason, murder, arson, rape, kid
naping, sodomy or pandering; any
crime involving sex perversion, and
illegal dealing in narcotics.
Registration of 100000 Seen.
1t. Col. Carlton S. Dargusch, op-
erations executive of the selective
service system, said in Chicago that
registration of an estimated ,2O0,0 900
youths who have reached the age
of 81 since last October 16 would
take place before next October.
He asserted that after they were
Ssonic+nrnI fI,ara lo
sible methods to number them. One
would be to put them at the end of
the present lists in their respective
boards, not subject to call until ex-
listing lists have been exhausted.
This method was used in the World
War.
Another plan would be to assign
them skipped numbers in present
boards, and third way would be to
fill quotas on an equal basis from
existing lists and the new list.
Col. DarguSch met yesterday with
members of the American Associa-
ton Of Collegiate Registrars at their
29th annual convention for discus
sion on problems relating to college
boys in the Army. To the registrars
complaint that the draft law had
thrown doubt" into the minds of
young men as to whether to con-
tinue their education, Col. Dargusch
said:
1--WE have to disturb our personal
life occasionally for the national life
to exist. If young men want an ele-
ment of certainty about the draft
they may volunteer at 18 and serve
their year. We are opposed to group
deferment, whether for students or
shipyard workers"
He said that about $4,000 students
IN Glass I'D would be subject to call
on July l, after which that class
would be eliminated.
Martin, Stock Market Head,