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Show MEN OF DRAFT AGE 10 FIGHTOR IRK DRASTIC MODIFICATION OF THE DRAFT CLASSIFICATION LISTS IS PROPOSED. Second, Third and Fourth Classes of Registrants Not Engaged in Productive Pro-ductive Industry May Be Inducted Into Army. Washington. Drastic modification of the draft classification lists which would affect in one way or another the status of every one of the millions of registered men, is proposed in a plan submitted to President Wilson by officials of the provost marshal general's office and the department of labor. While the primary purpose of) the new program is the "purification" of the second, third anil fourth classes of registrants who are not engaged in any productive industry, attention also would be given to lower sections of class one, and the effect, its framers believe, would be to solve the nation's labor problem and largely increase the output of the necessities of life. The proposal would utilize the draft machinery for putting industrial slackers slack-ers to work. It is proposed to make a most careful care-ful survey of the lower section of class one and of other classes to identify those men who are idlers or who are gaining their living through undesirable undesir-able or "harmful" pursuits. Work or Fight. Under the latter head, officials suggest, sug-gest, might be listed gamblers, bookmakers book-makers for races, pool room touts and others. Formal notification would be served upon men that unless within a specified time they obtained employment employ-ment in some useful industry, they would have their classification status changed so as to send them into military mili-tary service immediately. The plan is not designed to interfere in the slightest with the so-called nonessential non-essential industries. . Administration officials declare that the next step would be to obtain authority au-thority for the industrial classification of the man power of the country up to the age of 50. No ChancS for Dodging. To make the program effective, it is intended to utilize the existing boards virtually as employment agencies agen-cies for their districts. When a man was informed that he must seek a useful use-ful occupation, he would be told where just such a man as his questionnaire shows him to be, was needed. The status of men on the classified lists, both in class one and in the deferred de-ferred classes, in the opinion of the provost marshal general's office, would be Improved. Delinquents who did not heed the warning would be iniluctei' into the military service, reducing the number of men to be called from class one. This would operate to delay still further the date when the services of men in class two might be needed. This fact is expected to draw to the aid of he "purification" relatives and friends of boys who are about to be called. Opposition Expected. That determined opposition to the plan will develop in some quarters has been foreseen. The effect upon the labor market of the addition of many thousands of able-bodied workers might be to reduce the present wage scales. The economic balance will be kept even, however, according to the champions of the program, by the reduction re-duction in the cost of life's necessities through increased output and in the improved situation of the dollar in interest in-terest exchange. No indication has been given of the attitude which President Presi-dent Wilson will take, though army officials of-ficials are confident he will give his approval. |