Evening star., 1945-05-22
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.


Indefinite deferment for men
30 and over in useful civilian or
war production work was an
nounced today by Selective Serv-
ice Director Lewis B. Hershey.
Gen. Hershey also announced that
he has instructed draft boards to re-
submit for physical examination all
men in the 1925 age group who are
in limited service or 4-F classifica-
tions with the hope of getting at
least 10 per cent of this pool of L.
100000 men for induction.
Gen. Hershey estimated that be-
ginning in July monthly draft calls
would total about 10000 men-2o,-
600 for tic Navy and 10000 for the
Army. This is an overall reduction
OF 10000 below present draft calls.
Breakdown on Age Groups.
OF the 10000, Gen. Hershey esti-
mated, 45 per cent would be made
up of 18-year- -olds, 33 per cent will
be men in the 1925 age group
previously disqualined for military
service, and % per cent will come
from men 26-29 who lose their oc-
cupational deferments, and posi-
bly, few men over 80 if they are
needed to fill calls.
Gen. Hersey ordered the boards
to give sympathetic consideration"
to fathers in the 30-37 age group.
He estimated fathers make up nine
tenths of the group.
For the first time, he pointed out
the cost to the Government of draft
ing fathers and also the fact that
under the War Department point
rehabilitation system the father of
three children would be credited
with SO points to start with, which
is the equivalent of SO months of
active service in the armed forces"
All cases of doubt, Gen. Hershey
told the boards, should be resolved
in favor of fathers over 80.
Local boards were instructed to
reopen the cases of all men over 80
who are not now occupationally de-
ferred, even if they already have
been given orders to report for in
duction.
Rescinds Previous Instructions.
The new order rescinds previous
draft board instructions for men in
the 1898 age group who have had
to be necessary men" to earn de-
ferment.
Hereafter, men over 80 merely
have to be regularly engaged in an
activity in the national health,
safety or interest, or in war pro-
duction" to be deferred. Gen. Her
shey. explained that if a man is un-
employed because of a cutback he
can be deferred on the basis of his
last employment. provided he is
making an effort to get a useful
job
The "job-jumping" regulation
still stands for all age groups, Gen.
Hershey made it clear. Deferred
men who quit their jobs without a
draft board permission still face
induction.
This Is the way the new orders
affect each age group:
Men l8 through 254-Fs and
those qualified for limited service
only and never called will have to
take another physical examination.
One-third of the local boards pre-
induction call each month will be
made up of this group.
Selective service expects that
substantial numbers" of these men
may now be found qualified for in
duction, either because of the in
creased need for younger men or
because of a change in the regis
trant's physical condition.
Hopes for Lower Standards.
Gen. Hershey said he hoped Army
physical standards would be low
cred to take in more of these men.
but he expects 10000 of them to be-
come available.
Men rs through 29-For the time
being, men deferred by special GER
tiflcation will keep their deferments,
but Gen. Hershey indicated that the
number of jobs for which these
men can be deferred will be dras-
tically reduced as soon as informa-
tion is available on the urgency of
certain war production programs.
Older workers released through
cutbacks and veterans now coming
out of the armed forces will make
it possible for employers to replace
many registrants in the younger age
group who have heretofore neces-
sarily been deferred"
Men 80 and over-Indefnite de-
ferments to reduce the number of
drafted old men "to a minimum.
That also means that men who work
in one community and are deferred
in another will not have to have
their deferments reviewed by ap-
peal boards every six months.
Gen. Hershey said the new in
structions give wide power to draft
boards. He pointed out that as the
reconversion period begins men will
find many opportunities for useful
tSee DRAFT, Page AID