APPENDIX V.-INDUSTRIAL MOBILIZATION PLAN, 1933, ADMINISTRATION OF SELECTIVE SERVICE CONTENTS SECTION A.-Introduction: Definition.. Mission.... Selective service system____ Principles underlying the selective service system. B.-Authority.. C.-The national organization: Director of selective service.. National headquarters.... Governors of States and Territories and Commis sioners of the District of Columbia..---. State headquarters... Local boards.. Boards of appeal.. Advisory boards for registrants.. Medical advisory boards. Government appeal agents. D.-National headquarters: Director of selective service.. Assistant director of selective service.. Inspection division.... Finance and supply division.. Public relations division....... Registration and classification division.. Medical division.. Mobilization division. E.-Organization of State headquarters: The governor....... The disbursing officer. The medical assistant.. The State executive.. Divisions of State headquarters.. 1. Definition. SECTION A.-INTRODUCTION 3456789 391 392 393 394 395 395 396 396 396 396 397 397 398 398 Selective Service is the name given to the system by which the men who are best fitted to bear arms are selected from the citizenry of the Nation and inducted into the armed forces of the United States. 2. Mission. The mission of selective service is to procure men for the armed forces. However, it is not the purpose of sective service to place every able-bodied man in the military service without regard to other considerations, unless the emergency demands such drastic selection. The procurement of men is to be accomplished with the minimum of disturbance to the economic and social structure of the Nation. 3. Selective service system, general. A sound selective service plan is vital to success in a great emergency. The general mobilization plans are based on the assumption that the necessary man power will be procured by the selective service system. To this end the World War system has been studied and a proposed selective service law, regulations based thereon, and plans of organization and administration have been prepared by the joint Army and Navy selective service committee. The proposed law, regulations, and plans include all the fundamental principles and essential features of the World War system. This has been done purposely so that the experience and legal decisions of the World War may form a solid foundation for a new system. Under the direction of the President, the proposed system is administered by a director of selective service, who is charged with the execution of the selective service law and who is assisted by a national headquarters organization in Washington. The administration is decentralized by placing the responsibility for the execution of the law in each State on the governor of the State. The principle of decentralization of administration is fundamental in the selective service organization. Under the direction of the governor, the State is divided into local board areas corresponding normally to the county. It is intended that each local board area shall include about 30,000 population. Counties of over 30,000 population are subdivided into two or more local board areas. Cities of 30,000, or more, population and independent cities are to be excluded from the jurisdiction of the including counties and one or more local board areas created therein. If the system were invoked today (1933) there would be approximately 5,500 local boards. On a day set by proclamation of the President, all male persons within whatever ages he may designate (excepting certain diplomatic and consular service officials, and men already in the military and naval services) will register on cards provided for the purpose at the voting precincts. These cards will be assembled by county clerks, or similar election officials, through the same channels that election returns are gathered and will be delivered to the local boards having jurisdiction over such election precincts. The cards are then numbered consecutively beginning with number one. This number is called the "serial number" from which, by a national lottery, will be fixed the order number within each local board of every registrant whose card is in its possession. Beginning with "Order No. 1", the local board will send to each registrant in turn a questionnaire. This is a series of questions, the answers to which are designed to give the local board information on the registrant's physical condition, any dependents he may have, his occupation, his religious convictions against war, his citizenship, and his court record if he has one. In it he may make claims for deferment. It must be sworn to, and claims must be supported by other affidavits. From information obtained from the questionnaire the local board will classify each registrant into 1 of 4 classes as follows: Class I includes those registrants who are immediately available for induction into the public armed forces. Class II includes those registrants whose induction is deferred. Each registrant is notified of his classification and may appeal from such classification to a district board of appeal. (See sec. C, par. 6.) If placed in class I, the registrant is ordered to report to the examining physician for physical examination, and he may be found a. To be physically fit for unlimited military service (group A). b. To have minor physical defects and fit only for limited military service (group B), or c. To be physically unfit for military service, in which case he is reclassified into class IV. Calls are made from class I except in special cases where they may be made on any individual no matter how classified. It is estimated that the age groups of 21 to 30, inclusive, as used in the World War will provide a reservoir of 11,000,000 men. It is further estimated that this reservoir will produce a class I man power (including voluntary enlistments) of approximately 4,100,000 men. Annually there will be an accretion of approximately 1,000,000 young men who will have arrived at the age of resgitration and who will be registered. The percentage of class I man power from this group is high. Close liaison will be maintained by the director of selective service with the Army and Navy, from which services he will obtain, as far in advance as possible, their programs of man-power needs. These needs are now set forth, for planning purposes, in the mobilization and war plans. The director's first concern is the number of class I available, which will be reported to him at prescribed intervals, or when ordered, and which will form the basis upon which he will levy his quotas. With this liaison the director will know weeks in advance the probable requisitions for men which he will be required to fill. Knowing the detailed routine which must be followed in order to insure proper transportation, shelter, and feeding of detachments, he will issue his calls in sufficient time to provide for each detail. Having ascertained his class I, the director of selective service will fix the quotas to be supplied by the various States. In turn, the States will survey their class I and break down their State quotas into quotas for their local boards. Requisitions from the armed forces will be filled within the current quota, the director apportioning the number of men required by means of calls on the States and each State filling its call by calls on its local boards. 4. Principles underlying the selective service system. Selective service is based upon the following principles: The universal obligation of every citizen to bear arms in defense of the State. The right of the State to choose from its citizenry those who are best fitted to bear arms by reason of their individual status. The provision of law which sets apart all able-bodied citizens between the ages of 18 and 45 as the unorganized militia. Between the ages of 18 and 45, the right of the State to choose those age groups best fitted to fill the needs of the particular war. During the World War the initial group of ages was 21 to 30, inclusive. Within the particular age groups chosen, individual equalization of the burdens of war by means of deferments. The deferment of men, within the ages chosen to bear arms, is made by a man's neighbors on the grounds of economic or social necessity only. No exemptions, no substitutions, no bounties are permitted in order to insure that each citizen is held to the full measure of his duty. Calls to service of those chosen to bear arms to be determined by lot. The needs of the armed forces are paramount, but the selection of those who are to bear arms is to be accomplished with the minimum of disturbance to the economic structure of the Nation. The Constitution of the United States, article I, section VII, paragraphs 12, 13, 15, and 18. 1 The National Defense Act, 1916, section 57, which defines the unorganized militia. 5. Time schedule of organization. A time schedule has been prepared which indicates the time allotted in which to set up the selective service system and commence to produce men for the armed forces. The zero day is the day of the passage of the selective service law and its approval by the President. The mobilization plans of the armed forces will be dependent on the promptness with which this schedule is met. The plans for the organization of the selective service system are based on this schedule. TIME SCHEDULE TO PUT IN OPERATION THE SELECTIVE SERVICE LAW 1. Issuance of a presidential proclamation for registration; printing and distribution of registration regulations, and 2 registration cards, and 12 registration certificates for every registrant, 35,000,000 forms for a registration of 10,000,000-175,000,000 forms for a registration of the entire military man power-designation, assembly, and instruction of election officials; informing the people through every available means of the holding of a registration and the necessity for compliance with the President's procla mation, and the appointment of members of bɔards.. 2. Registration__. 3. Assembly of cards from registrars, frequently involving many miles of travel; allocating cards to inexperienced local boards assumed to have been previously selected and appointed; numbering cards and comparing numbers to see that none have been omitted or duplicated; carefully preparing 2 or more lists of registrants, showing serial number, name, address, and color, 1 for the governor and 1 for public posting to prevent fraud and to avoid delay in case of loss of record by fire or otherwise; reports to governors of completion of work and by him to director of selective service; and national drawing to determine order numbers. 4. Printing and proofreading master lists of order numbers (23 pages in first registration of World War); delivery of same by fastest mail to States and by them to local boards; rearranging registration cards and entering order numbers thereon; preparation of order number list for public notice; and preparation of the classification record, the most important record of the system.. Daya 5 5 |