13 Million More Men Needed, 1918

“Draft Lottery Next Week,” from The Daily Times, Wilson, N.C., Sept. 25, 1918

Plans to Hold This Week Abandoned to Give Local Boards More Time to Call 13 Million Men

Washington Sept. 25—The national lottery which, in a measure, will determine the order of the calling of 13 million men between 18 and 45 years of age who registered September 12, probably will not be held before next week. Officials had hoped to fix a date late this week, but this plan is understood to have been abandoned in order that additional time may be given to local boards to correct any errors made in assigning serial numbers to the registrants.

Since men between 19 and 36 are to be called to colors first the drawing will have less effect upon determining the order of the call than did that for the nearly one million men who turned 21 before last June 5. Order numbers for all the 13 million men will be drawn, but youths of 18 and men between 36 and 45 will not be classified until the boards have given classification to all the men between 19 and 36 who are the first to receive their questionnaires. In the meantime, many of the 19 to 36 classes will have been inducted into service.