Evening star., 1948-03-18
DC. Draft Force
0f400 Workers
Ready if Needed
Increased Interest
In Enlistments Is
Reported Here
By George Beveridee

The District would have a.
minute man" force of about 400
workers ready to swing into
action almost Immediately, if
Congress besides to set up new
selective service framework for
the temporary draft urged by
President Truman.
The standby organization was
formed after the war by William E.
Leahy, wartime selective service di-
rector for the District, to keep in
tact group of experienced men,
bers, doctors, appeal officers and
clerical workers who manned local
boards during World War II,
Mr.. Leahy said several members
of the group, known as the Selective
Service Association, already have
called him to volunteer their sery-
ices.
Meet April 19.
The association has officers and
trustees and holds quarterly meet
ings, he said. The next meeting
is April 10.
Frank D. Norton, director of the
District Office OF Selective Service
Records, said the group would form
a valuable center of activities, if
a new draft system were set up.
He emphasized, however, that there
are no immediate plans for recruit
ing volunteer workers.
Army, Navy and Marine recruiting
offices here reported considerably
increased" interest in voluntary en-
listments, particularly in Reserve
forces, during the 24-hour period
after Mr.. Truman's draft appeal.
Navy Gets Phone Calls.
1t. Comdr. r. T. Fahy, Navy re-
crriting officer for the District, re-
ported "a very noticeable reaction"
in telephone calls and personal re-
quests for information about the
Reserves.
His Office, at 140o Pennsylvania
avenue NV, enlisted six Reserve
personnel yesterday and three more
today. Thes Navy, veterans, the
officer pointed out, can enter the
Reserves with the same grades they
held during the war.
Nine men were enlisted in the
Regular Navy yesterday, only one OF
whom had served before. Comdr
Fahy reported a decided increase
in applications during the last week,
with more than so men applying
for regular duty during the first
three days of this week.
Capt. George Planter, Marine re-
cruiting chief whose officer also is at
1400 Pennsylvania avenue NV, said
he received several calls this morn
ing, mostly from Marine veterans
asking about the Reserves.
Army Reports Same Reaction.
Reaction was the same at the
Army recruiting center, 403 Tenth
street NV. Maj. Richard. j. Car
mody reported no increased interest
so far in Regular Army enlistments,
however.
Col. Daniel Omer, who is general
counsel of the OSSR, said pro-
gram already has been started to
train National Guard and Reserve
officers in methods of setting up a
selective service system. These men
would instruct other key workers if
q new draft law were enacted, he
said.
Two District Guard officers will
begin the OSSR training course at
Fort Meade, Md, on April 10, &C
cording to Peyton G. Nevitt, ad-
iutant general of the District Guard.
Others on Part Time.
They are Maj. John L. Meakin
executive officer of the 163d Military
Police Battalion, and Capt. John E
Cleary, a company commander of
the battalion. Col hewitt said other
officers of the Guard will attend the
course on a part-time basis.
The extensive World War II
records, filed in depot at OSSR
headquarters at Twenty first and c
streets NV, have not been kept up
to date since selective service died
in March of last year.
Mr.. Norton said about 299 900 per-
sons registered through the Districts
25 draft boards during World War
II. About $4,000, never called for
duty, were in the 1855 age group
Another 10000 records belonged to
citizens who registered in foreign
countries and gave no United States
address.
More than 10000 of the registrants
we're called for duty in one of the
branches of service through the
boards Mr. Norton said