OCR Text |
Show Nothing Secret In Functions 01 Draft Boards There is nothing secret, and very little confidential, about the functioning of a Selective Service local board. The board transacts public business and the public is entitled to know of its functions. Its principal activity is classification of registrans and the public has access to its records on classifications. classi-fications. It is possible to find out how any registrant is classified classi-fied but in respect for the privacy of the individual, the selective service law requires that the local board consider as confidential the contents of i an individual registrant's file. This, of course, includes his address. The registrant submitted sub-mitted such information about himself, not for general consumption con-sumption by the curious, but solely for the use of the local I board in determining his classification. class-ification. Other than the confidential relationship between registrant regis-trant and his board in regard to evidence in his file, the functioning of the Selective Service local board is an open book. The public can easily determine who is in which class from the Classification Record. The public can learn how the local board acted on the matter of classification of registrants after each meeting since the board is required to post the minutes of the meeting meet-ing in the local board office for all to see. The public is permitted to know who has been ordered for physical examination, and who for induction. In fact, the Director has stressed the public nature of the Selective Service System in a Local Board Memorandum. This directive dir-ective states, in positive terms, that "there are no restrictions imposed by the Director of Selective Service upon the release re-lease or publication of lists of registrants . . ." and goes on to say, "In the absence of any restrictions imposed by a State Director . . . local boards may publish such lists of registrants as they in their discretion may deem appropriate." appro-priate." The local board must of necessity ne-cessity function behind closed doors when it is considering a ease for classification. It would be a violation of law if facts q. registrant had eiven the local board in confidence were j disclosed to the public in onn I bnnrini'. The information , which he furnished his board, pnrt which micht or miqht not nuftlifv him for deferment "r (ivoiYintinr) frorri sprvipp ? ween him and his local boarri There is not any secrecy i concerning the identity of the board members, the clerk, or i the State Director. Local j boards are made up of men and women who are. fulfilling a duty to their country and who are proud to do so. j A local board which tends I to be secretive about its oper-' oper-' ation arouses public suspicion j and antagonism. Frankness I and openness in relations with the press and public on all phases of local board operation, opera-tion, except for the contents of personnel file folders, makes for better understand-j understand-j ing and acceptance. There j cannot be too much trust bet-! bet-! ween the local board and the public. |