Evening star., 1942-02-16
$4,000 Enroll
|At District
Draft Centers
Lote Rush Expected
To Overcome Log
During Day

Top-ranking defense officials,
members of Congress and 10000
other District men too young or
too old for previous registrations
enrolled for potential service to-
day in the first selective service
registration since the Nation
went to war.
An after-work rush was expected
at the so school registration centers.
Bad weather was blamed for the
tagging pace during the day. Most
of the 5000 registrars were knit
ting, listening to the radio or con-
Stunning doughnuts and coffee.
Before registration centers close
at pm, 1t is expected that 9,000,-
600 men will have been enrolled
throughout the Nation. This regis
tration, third of the emergency,
takes in all previously unregistered
men not excepted by law between
the ages of 20 and A, inclusive Their
names will 60 at the bottom of local
board lists from the two previous
registrations.
Names of Note Listed.
At the old National Guard Arm
ory, local selective service head
quarters. the registration center
set up for out-of-t town visitors took
care of Edward r. Stettinius, jr.,
lease-lend administrator, who told
Mrs. Nan Lee DeLaPrade, the
registrar, that he was employed
with lease lend" The registrar
did not recognize the Virginian, but
commented that he was very
charming gentleman" Before COM
ing to the registration center, Mr..
Stettinius, who is IL, called to ask
for special registrar. He was re-
fused.
Mrs. Mildred c. Bell. noted for
her scream at the October, 1910,
lottery when her sons number was
drawn first from the goldfish bowl,
registered her husband, Harry S.
Bell, at the armory Mr. Bell, A.
year-old member of the District
Fire Department, was a sergeant in
the last war and said today he was
ready to go back in service at any
time Young Bell is at Fort Bragg,
N. G.
Without the publicity that has
surrounded him since his arrival in
Washington as co-ordinator of the
newly formed Arts Council for the
Office of Civilian Defense. Actor
Melvyn Douglas registered at $40
am. at the Gordon Junior High
School.
His Signature Forgotten.
Sauntering over to the table oc-
cupied by Mrs. Elizabeth Angle, he
bade her good morning and handed
her a blank on which was written
the information required on his
registration card. During the few
minutes the actor spent at her
table, Mrs. Angle confided to him
that she was nervous. This was
confirmed after his departure, when
she realized that she had failed to
get his signature on the registration
card.
Sending a cadet to overtake him.
Mrs. Angle herself hurried into the
hall and met him near the front
door.
"Mr. Douglas, you failed to sign
your card" she painted.
You didn't tell me-" he replied.
Mr.. Douglas refused several re-
quests for autographs while in the
registration room, but delayed on his
way out to grant autographs to half
a dozen cadets and a few teachers.
Mrs. Angle was not among the few,
but commented later, That's all
right. He has my name on the
registration card and there are very
few people who can say an actor
is carrying their names around"
Leahy Tours Schools.
One of the earliest risers was Dis
trict Selective Service Director Will
liam Leahy, who made tour Of
several schools shortly after they
opened to regiStrants and COM
mented on the good spirits of the
men who arose in the gloomy early
hours to add their names to the
Nations reservoir of military man
power.
One of the buster centers in the
first hours of registration was the
downtown armory.
In the armory lobby were two ta-
bles covered with empty cigar boxes,
each bearing State name. Az the
end of the day, registration cards
of visitors will be placed in the
proper boxes for return to the home
States and thence to the local boards
of individual registrantS.
One of the guides on duty at
the entrance was Thomas C. Co.'S
tello, District government employe
and member of the American Legion
Post bearing the name of his late
brother, Vincent Costello, who was
killed in the World War.
Mr.. Costello said he talked with
a World War veteran from Louisi-
ana, who told him he was ''in the
last war with Gen. Macarthur" and
was anxious TO get in this one"
Another man, with black eye and
his face "all cut up," came in early
to register and told Mr.. Costello
he had 'just arrived on a freight
train"
A War Production Board dollar
a-year man. Philip Seacrest Hardy
of Lincoln, Nebr, was registered at
8 o'clock by Hosea Stotlar, member
of Sergt. Jasper Post, American
Legion.
In the Capitol rotunda. approxi-
mately 10 members of the House
and half dozen Senators were
registering. This was only formal
ity since members of Congress are
exempted from service by law.
During the day, slow business sent
many of the registrars home. To
(See REGISTRATION, Page A-2J