Evening star., 1941-07-18
Drawing
tContinued From First PageD

ward and pulled the numbers OF
those who will follow him into the
service.
An advance announcement SAID
the first number would be drawn
bv Secretary of the Navy Knox.
But Mr.. Knox started toward the
bowl and half turned, facing Brig.
Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, acting direc-
tor of selective service, who was
presiding.
Honor Goes to Sergeant.
II would like TO step aside" said
the Secretary, and let one of the
men in service, one of our selectees,
draw the first number"
And so they summoned the rank
ing commissioned officer among
the detachments of selectees who
had been brought from several
posts on the Eastern seaboard. He
was Staff Sergt. Robert W. Shackle-
ton, who was inducted in New York
City and is stationed at Fort Dix,
N. J.
And Sergt. Shackleton was cheered
roundly by the crowd that filled the
hall to seating and standing ca
pacity as he swung across the stage
"a fine, bronzed. outstanding young
man. who seemed typical of the
nearly 100000 selectees who have
been hardening and learning these
recent months in scores of camps.
He saluted smartly and pulled out
No. 1876. The lottery was on.
1t was a small number that came
out first at the last lottery-l58.
But the vagaries of hazard deferred
this number last night until TIA of
the big pellets had been drawn-it
fell almost at the close of the lot
terry.
Knox Draws Second.
Secretary Knox drew the second
number-98. The third. 451, was
pulled by Acting Secretary of War
Patterson.
AS the ceremony started, Gen.
Hershey. his genial face suddenly
grave. spoke. briefly. They were
gathered. he reminded the spec
tators. TO witness ceremony that
is symbolic of our American democ-
racy."
just as the lottery last october
determined tthe order in which the
original 16.500,000 registrants would
be selected for service he pointed
out, so this lottery would determine
e.. olo nf 10d1 ~
And he added:
Together these men, the new
and the old, are Americas hope for
protection now and security for the
future. More than 100000 strong,
these men will make America Sc
cure"
Gen. Hershey explained that each
man registered would be called on,
in due time, to serve his country,
but tonight blind chance will de-
eide when each man will be called
to serve" and he added: After to-
night a selective service local board.
of his neighbors, will decide how
each man will serve"
To these boards, he emphasized,
will fall the vital task of selecting
each man for the service he is best
fitted to do, for the defense and
protection of 10000 900 Americans. y
Bowls Buyer Present.
Then the bowl. which rests in
honored ldleness in Independence
Hall, Philadelphia, between lot
+ariac moe q opnroa cbod hy tho N, n
most familiar with it. He was 1t.
Col Charles R. Morris, retired, Of
Elizabeth, N. J.
| In the early days of the World
War Col Morris was stationed at
the War Department. They needed
something to hold the capsules when
they had the first draft drawing in
1917. They couldn't find anything
around the department, and so the
colonel went out and bought a fish
bowl with his own money. When
the lottery was held, he blindfolded
President Wilson and Secretary OF
War Newton D. Baker and stirred
the capsules with ladle made from
rafter of Independence Hall
After the war, realizing the bow
might have historic significance, he
gave it to Independence Hall.
Somebody thought of the retired
colonel when the country turned
back to selective service and another
lottery last October, and he tolo
them Of the bowl, and he came Il