The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1942-09-17
Board Explains
Selective Service
Classification
Deferment only for so
long as necessary for
war conduct

The State Director Of Selective
Service, Col. Walter j. DeLong has
asked the local boards of this state
to post on their bulletin boards an
editorial by National Director Lewis
B. Hershey, which appeared in the
August issue Of a four-page news
sheet edited by National Headquart-
ers. The Local Board Of Benton
County, believing that not enough
regiStrant's and members Of the
general public would see this article,
is quoting from portions Of that edi-
torial, as follows:
Under the Selective Training ana
Service Act Of 1910, as amended,
every male resident in this country
between the ages OF 20 and As years
with a few specifically stated ex-
ceptions-iS liable for induction into
its armed forces. Therefore, every
man in this age bracket, who is
physically, mentally, and morally
acceptable, is a potential soldier
and must and will be called for mill
tary service If and when the need OF
the Nation so demands.
Some who are otherwise liable
are deferred now from military ser
vice because they are more necessary
now in war production or in other
civilian activities supporting the war
effort. Some are deferred because
their induction would cause hard
ships TO dependents and because the
social and economic welfare OF the
Nation demands that its family
units be preserved intact as long as
possible. Nevertheless, AL defer
ments are provisional, subject TO
withdrawal, and are made only to
serve the Nations irterest-not that
of the registraant, his dependents,
or his employer as individuals, but
for the common benefit of all OF our
people. .7. -...
Fundamentally, there are only two
reasons why any man liable for mill
tary service Is deferred, and the
main one is that the expansion OF
the Nations armed forces has not
yet reached the stage where he Is
needed In them. The other is that,
at present, he is more valuable to
the war effort in his civilian occu-
patton. ~ ~s p
But necessary men" who are
qualified for military service may
be deferred only so long as they are
absolutely necessary in such civilian
effort, and only until they can
train men not fitted for military
service, or women, TO replace them.
AS they are so replaced, and as our
armed forces are expanded to Gre
ate a greater need for their serv-
ices nnder arms, they must and VIII
be inducted.
Likewise the growth OF the ma
tion's need for military power win
decide the duration Of any deferment
granted to any man with depend
ents.
Each registrant, who is liable un-
der the law for military service, and
is physically, mentally and morally
qualified TO give his country that
service, must realize that any de-
ferment granted to him merely af-
fleets the order of his introduction;
that he is a potential soldier and
must be prepared to answer when
his country calls him."
All boards of the state and ma
ton have been ordered to proceed
with the induction OF Categories
and 2, single men with and without
dependents AS soon as these two
categories are completed, the boards
have been ordered 10 go into Gate
CORY 8, men with wives, no children.
When this category is completed,
they are to await further orders be-
fore proceeding with Category 4,
men with wives and child or chill
dren or men with children with
whom they maintain a bona fide
family relationship. In order for a
married man TO qualify for Category
3 he must have been married prior
30 December 8, 1851, and TO qualify
for Category 4, his child or children
must have been born before octo-
Der l6, 1912.
The Benton County Local Board
has classified or now has in the pro
cess Of classification all men in the
first three categories.