Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1917 — DRAFT CHANGES ANNOUNCED [ARTICLE]

DRAFT CHANGES ANNOUNCED

Single Men Without Employment Will Go First. Radical Changes in draft exemption regulations will be announced by the war department within ten days, according to a state board official, who returned from Washington Saturday. Registered men will be divided into classes to determine the order of their liability foj* service. "The new system will be more equitable,” said he. “It will make for greater uniformity arid speed in the determination of exemption claims. “Classifications will be based upon personal obligations and economic and industrial usefulness. The man without a job and without dependents will go first. The next class will include those ‘who can be mostly easily spared. Succeeding classes will follow the same plan. “The man with a small business will be given time to close it out with a minimum loss. While the men in the earlier classeu are being called, he can be shaping up his affairs.

“Married men and others with dependents will not be taken until those in the preceding classes have been exhausted. “The new’- system will enable existing machinery to complete the examination and certification of the remaining 8,000,000 registrants with a speed impossible under the old regulations.’’ The Washington visitor said the system is being drawn up under the direction of the provost marshal general and is practically completed.