Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-06-25
Veterans
and
Druftees
By Maj. Thomas M. Mol

tNt0Is tuVU9S I'VE lNt0b
If you've been classified ga be-
cause Of wife alone and since
have had one or more children, let
your draft board know about It'll
now.
I can't emphasize too strongly
how important it is to get that in
formation in your draft record.
Just write a letter to the board
stating that your child was born
on such and such a date. Send
along certified copy of the birth
certificate.
Up to now married men were
entitled to dependency defermentsF
more or less automatically, re-
CARELESS Of whether they had chill
dren. though some boards have
not deferred men who get mar
ried after frs. being classified Ia.
Now, under the new draft law
men with wives but no children
will not be deferred, except in
cases of extreme hardship. The
effect Of the new law is to require
that a mans dependents really be
dependent on him before he rates
deferment. Gone are the days
when a registrant might have a
wife with high-paying job,
maybe actually supporting him,
and still get ga classification.
New Regulations Due.
New Selective Service regula-
tons will not come out for a few
weeks yet, and Selective Service
headquarters says boards may not
start reclassifying non fathers un-
til they do. But presumably when
the regulations are issued local.
boards will go through their files
OF 3-As and reclassify to la anil
those with wives but no children.
Here's gimmick I've pointed
out before: Children are consid-
cred dependents under present
draft regulations not from the
date OF birth but from the date Of
conception. So if your wife is
pregnant, write Immediately and
tell your board about it. Get your
family physician to make a writ
ten statement and either send it
along with your letter or have him
send it to the board himself.
If your board thinks children
must be born before they are con-
Sidered dependents, then refer the
board members to Selective Serv-
ice Regulation 1622.15 subsec-
ton (b).
But don't get confused between
Selective Service regulations and
Army regulations. For purposes of
both the Class @ dependency al
lowance and the four dependents
discharge for reservists, child
actually must be born before it's
@ dependent.
Under draft regulations a mans
own child is and will be consid-
cred a dependent automatically,
whether a legitimate, illegitimate,
adopted, foster or stepchild, as
long as the man maintains a
bona-f1de family relationship"
with the child in his home.
Other Dependents.
The list Of others a board may i
consider as dependents includes
nearly everybody draft registrant
might ever support, provided
and this is mighty Important
that he supports them in good
faith and his induction would
mean genuine hardship and priva-
ton for them, not just inconven-
fence or heartache. II
Wives fall into this category.
whether divorced or separated. But |
I repeat: From now on the man
must support his wife in good |
faith and his induction must mean
hardship and privation for her.
In the same category also come |
parents, grandparents, brothers.
sisters, any person under Is or
any person of any age who is
physically or mentally handi-
capped.
Sure. you'll find draft reg
1strants chipping in a little each
week to help widowed mother or
a kid sister. But you won't find
many with others really and truly
dependent on them, and them
alone, for their living.
Associated Press NeusfaatnrarA