Evening star., 1950-12-22
Decentralization
Rate in Draft
Seen Incredible
Concern Expressed
At Turn Downs by
I'd Army Official

A0 Tisiiy StsiSs0i
Draft-eligible doctors ordered
for examination from this area
are being rejected for physical
reasons at the incredible" rate
of between Is and 30 per cent.
Army officials said today.
Expressing concern, high Off
cial of the Second Army head
quarters, which covers the Dis
trict and seven States, said he had
no way of explaining the high
rate. All the physicians, dentists
and veterinarians ordered up
either were educated at Govern
ment expense during the war or
otherwise deferred to continue
medical education.
THAT makes it all the more in
explicable," the officer declared.
Most of these men were screened
physically before they were
trained by the Army during the
war.
Standards Are Lower.
ut is incredible to me that the
Army would have educated a man
who was physically unfit. We can
assume that the halt, the lame and
the blind should have been
screened out then"
In addition, he declared, the
Army is using physical standards
considerably below those required
for most commissions-at level,
in fact, that is the same as stand
ards set for the non medical draft.
A considerable number of waivers
also have been given for physical
ailments, he said.
Yet latest figures for the Army
area show that of 609 medical
men whose examination papers
have reached headquarters, at
least $50 have been rejected on
the basis of medical reports sub
mitted from the areas 26 examin-
ing stations. After the I'd Army
rules on physical qualifications,
the papers of all men disqualified
are sent to the Army surgeon gen.
eral. In all cases, the official said,
the higher authority has con-
CURED with the determinations.
The physical rejection rate for
reservist doctors called back to
active duty, who for the most part
are much older men. the official
said, is only about 10 per cent.
Accompanying many of the re-
ports. the official said, are sup
porting papers," some from other
physicians, attesting to ailments
on which the disqualifications are
based.
Selective Service officials, it was
reported, are seriously concerned
about the high rate and some con-
sideration has been given to re-
examinations of those rejected.
One possibility, officials said, would
be to examine the men at Army
hospitals, as a check against the
examining stations. At the sta
tions. the tests are given by civil
ian doctors, either on Civil Serv-
ice or contract status.
The I'd Army reported that of
the 500 papers checked, 130 al
ready have been returned from
the surgeon general disqualifying
men for physical reasons. A break
down for the District and each
State is being made to advise local
draft officials of their situations.
141 Await Swearing lin.
At the same time, officials said
active duty orders will be sent
soon" to 80 physicians, 26 den
lists and 7 veterinarians who al
ready have accepted Reserve COM
missions under the medical draft
law. Another 14l have said they
would accept Reserve commissions,
but have not been sworn in.
Another 1914 men who passed
physical examinations said they
were unwilling to accept the COM
missions. officials said. 1t is this
group, under the law, which would
be eligible for induction as pri-
Yates by draft boards.
Concern also is growing, an OFF,
cial declared, over differences in
some sections of the I'd Army
area in the way in which doctors
are classified. Steps may be taken.
he said, 10 "re-evaluate stand
ards" to make sure all eligible
doctors are classified as la on
the same basis.