Evening star., 1951-09-27
ChiIdIess Husbands
Are Due for Draft
In Early December

Draft officials here expect to
begin inducing childless married
men by the early part of Deem
Der, it was learned today.
Long-awaited regulations to
make an estimated 100000 child
less husbands eligible for draft
service were signed last night by
President Truman. The same
regulations set up rules for carry
ing out other important draft de-
ferment changes ordered in the
new draft act passed last June 10.
The White House instructions
also ruled that the term Child"
for purposes of dependency defer
ment shall be considered by local
draft boards from the date of
conception. Confusion over the
status of expectant fathers was
one Of the TOUGHEST problems fac
ing boards during World War II.
Avoid Last-minrte Claims.
To obtain deferment because of
an unborn child, under the new
regulations, a registrant must file
a physicians certificate saying
the child has been conceived be-
fore the date on which he is Or
dered to report for induction.
Draft officials said the purpose
OF this provision is to prevent last
minute claims for deferment
biased only on the registrant's
opinion that his wife recently has
become pregnant"
Frank D. Norton, District deputy
draft chief, estimated the first
childleSS husbands - previously
deferred on marital status alone
will face induction here "early
in December"
Redistribution machinery, he
said. will begin as soon as the
new regulations reach local board
Offices
A spot check" of deferred child
less husbands in the District about
a month ago showed an average
of about 100 in each of the Is
local boards OF the city, Mr.. Norton
said.
But. since that time, quite a
number of birth certificates and
doctors statements have come in"
he added. $50 the number may be
cut to rs or 80 in each board"
Because most of these deferred
husbands are older than the regis
trants now being ordered for in
duction, they will go to ''the top
of the list" in meeting the Decem-
ber draft call. the official said.
RegistrantS are inducted strictly
according to date of birth, with
the Oldest being called first.
In another development, draft /
officials scheduled two more quail
f1cation tests for college students
who want to try for educational
defermentS. The teasts are de-
signed mainly for freshmen and
others who for some reason failed
to take the tests during the sum-
mer.
First Decision December 13.
The first test will be given
Thursday, December 10, and the
other on Thursday, April "a. Ap-
plications for the first test must |.
be poStmarked not later than mid
night November S, and for the
April "a test not later than mid
night. March 10.
The first series Of four tests was
taken by 339,066 students last |
spring and summer.
Aside from rules for childlesSl
husbands, meanwhile, the new
White House regulations for the
first time:
l. Make aliens living perma-
nently in the United States liable
for the draft. They will be ex-
empt only if they are citizens of !
one Of the 20 countries having
military exemption treaties with
the United States or if they areE
diplomatic personnel.
2. Permit 17-year-oldS to volun-
teer for induction with the writ
ten consent of parents or guard
ians. The age limit for involun-
tary induction is now 1872, butt
18-year-oldS may not be inductedi
until boards have called up ell
gible men between 19 and 26.
8. Provide conscientious objec-
tors may be forced by draft boards
to do some work of national i'm
portance for two years if they
are to be excluded from military
service.
4. Cut mental standards for in
duction and rollback physical
standards to the low level of jan
uary, 1945. Off1cials said, how
ever, that physical standards have
been near that level for some
time.
S. Provide that doctors subject
to the draft be called up accord
ing to length of prior military
service rather than by age. Those