Evening star., 1942-12-21
Teen-Age Group
Re- egistrdtion
Lags in DC.
No Arrivals Half Hour
After Opening at
Some Schools

Draft registration for the second
group of 18-year-olds proceeded at
snail's pace in the Is public
schools designated as registration
points today, with some schools re-
porting no business half hour
after the centers had opened
School registrars were confident
the registration would be much
lighter than last week when $40
youths were registered as potential
servicemen.
In a number of schools. all the
students were registered last week.
although that was supposed to be
limited to boys who became l8 in
July and August of this year or in
November or December. The latter
group may also register today or at
their local boards between December
rs and 81.
Many Already Enlisted.
The slow registration indicated
that the Districts pool of manpower'
from its youngest group would be
much less than $500 expected to
register before the end of the year.
1t was thought by draft oficials
that possibly 10 per cent of the boys
in this age group had already en-
listed, but registration figures in
dicate much higher percentage.
At Roosevelt High School, where
there was an extended home room
period last week for registration
and was again today, no outsiders
had arrived to register a half hour
after the school opened.
Youth Arrives Early.
At Central High School, however,
one colored youth was so eager to
register that he arrived 20 minutes
ahead of the opening time and
waited in the freezing weather for
the registration to begin. He was
James Lee Pollard, 2407 Fifteenth
street NV, who is an elevator op-
orator at the Municipal Center and
is ready to 60 into any service"
Another early arrival at Central
was James Taylor Speaks, 2207 Thir-
teenth street NE, who, like a num-
Der of the other youths, volunteered
some time ago. He said he was now
awaiting his call for a physical ex-
animation as an aviation cadet in
the Army Air Forces. Young
Speaks who is clerk at the Cen
eral Accounting ONCE. has a 20
year-old brother in the Marines.
The majority of the students at
Central registered last week
More Activity at Eastern.
The only home room registration
at Eastern High School today was
for youths who had been absent
from school last week. Principal:
Charles Hart reported today's regis
tration was slower than last weeks
when 1874 youths were enrolled for
the draft. There was more activity
at Eastern. however. than at some
of the schools. Two boys arrived a
quarter of an hour before the
school opened and Is had been
registered in the first half hour.
Officials at Dunbar High School,
which registered all its own students
last week, expected few comers today
and none had arrived to enroll a
half hour after the school opened.
The later opening of the school
as we'll as the weather were ex-
pected to retard the registration
further.
At Mckinley High School. where
only half dozen youths regis
tered in the first hour. one boy had
special reason for being anxious
to register. He is Thomas Martin
McKenna. 2239 Thirteenth street
NE. Government typist. Young
Mckenna explained that he wanted
to 60 into the Marines, but since
he had to volunteer through his
draft board, he couldn't volunteer
until he was registered and on his
draft boards lists.