Pads Eight

SCARLET AND, BLACK

Friday. September 21. Nos

 

, SELECTIVE SERVICE: WAYS AND MEANS

By DON HECKER

(Author‘s Note: I wish in ex-
press my gratitude to Wendy
natson for her help in the pro.
paration 0f till! article. Without
her aid, this article would not
have been possible.)

The Selective Service System
’(55) of the United States is
one of the most peculiar insti-
tutions ever to occur in a free
society. The debate over the
morality of conscription aside,
the Selective Service System
itself cannot be said to encour-
age freedom of action

In fact, the stated aim oi the
system is to “channel” (coerce)
men into activities that are in
“the national interest" (ac-
cording to the opinion of the
SS, not necessarily according
to your own).

Perhaps it is because most
systems of moription degen-
erate into small<scale dictator<
ships that Americans have tra-
ditionally resented efforts to be
drafted into wars.

This is a particularly inter-
esting point to those of us who
have grown up in the shadow
of the Selective Service, for we
have tended to classify it in
the “fact of life" category.

Yet in the 200 years of U5.
history, draft calls have been in
effect fewer than do years, and
the longest draft by far has
been the one that is operating
presently.

Resistance

The recent outbreak of draft
card burnings, mass rallies,
and general resistance is prob-
ably one of the least explosive
American reactions to a draft.

The first United States draft,
in 1863, was met by rioting so
severe that federal troops had
to be dispatched from Gettys-
burg to bring New York City
back under the control of the
cil/il authorities.

The second draft, during
World War I, was responsible
for an action of protest known
as the “Roasting Ear Rebel-
lion," which was somewhat less
dramatic than its name implies,
but which does indicate tha
depth of antagonistic feeling
toward conscription.

The important point of these
historical notes is that it is
traditional for Americans to de-
spise conscription. and for
them to resist it in every
mariner, Including violence.

The deep-seated suspicion of
conscription has proven, at
least in the case of the present
draft, to he well-founded.

Channeling Manpower

According to the U.S. Consti-
tution, Congress is given the
right to “raise armies.” The
Selective SerVice System, re-
authorized under the Military
Selective Service Act oI 1967, is
the agent through which Con
gress raises these armies.

However, the Selective SerV<
ice System, without any specii<
ic or general authorization, has
quietly expanded its activitics
to include the basic philosophy
of coercing men into certain oc—
cupations which it has dECldEd
are desirable,

The term that the 35 system
uses to describe this activtty is
“channeling manpower,"

In the System's own words,
“manpower channeling" is “the

process of channeling by not
Iaking men irom certain activ-
ities who are otherwise liable
for service, or by giving defer-
ments to qualified men in cer-
tain occupations, is actual pros
cumment hy inducement of
manpower for civilian activi-
ties which are manifestly ln till
national interest."

The effect of this, again in
the system's own words, is that:

“In the less patriotic and
more selfish individual (that
may easily be read as anyone
who disagrees with the policy
of conscription — and they may
mean you) it engenders a sense
of fear, uncertainty and dissat-
isiactlon which motivates him,
mvenhelass, in the some direc-
tion (that Ihc SS wished hi
to be motivated in).

“He would wpmiale ti cer-
tain future with no prospect of
military service or civilian m
tributloll, but he complies."

The SS system is also aided
in making these rather sweep
ing value judgments as to
what is good and bad for the
country and its individual citi‘
zens by certain boards that
deal with specific areas, In
lowa, for example, a scientific
ndVisory board suggests to the
State Selective Service which
industrial occupations are es
sential.

Theory and background is
useful to 18-35 year-olds only in
helping them to better under-
stand the general direction of
the SS system. The operational
facts are more important.

The present Selective Service
System was authorized by Con-
gress in 1951 — only two years
alter tho World War II draft
was repealed,

Technically, the base of pow-
er ol the SS is the 3-5 men who
make up each local board.
These men are appointed by the
President, on the recommanda<
tion of the State Director at
Selective Service, Each Local
Board serves approximately a
one-county area. Three board
members are required for a
,quorum, and many boards have
only a total of three members,

Actually, the power of the lo-
cal board resides not so much
with those as men, who are
unpaid volunteers, as it does
with the‘ Executive Secretaries
of the Boards.

These persons, salaried pro
isssionals, and generally wom-
en (oddly, often middle-aged
and unmarried) handle the day-
to»day paperwork of the SS,

They are required to sit in on
the bi-monthly meetings (meek
ings are held more often, if it
is necessary to process the leg-
istrants) where they “recom-
mend” action to the Board.
These “recommendations" arn
then almost routinely followed.

An extremely important point
to bear in mind about the poll-
tics of the SS is Ihnt the word
“recommendatlon” carries 00W
slderably more weight than the
diciionary‘s definition. “Recom-
mendations" are Vlrtually al.
ways followed, and the likeli-
hood that is “recommendation"
will not be followed is about the
same as Gen. Hershey’s attack-
ing the philosophy of oortscrip
lion.

In many cases a good im-
pression on the local board's

Executive Secretary is almost
equal to deferment, and a bad
impression is equal to an in.
duction notice.

The Local Boards, incidental-
ly, are one of the few political
entities that direct their own
fate without outside pressure.
Policies are continued intact
because each Local Board
“recommends" informally to
the State Director who should
be chosen to fill any vacancy,
and the State Director, in turn,
“recommends" to tho Presi-
dent who should be appointed.
Membership in either the Vets
erans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
or the American Legion seems
to be the chief prerequisite for
being appointed to ii Local
Board.

APPEALS AGENTS

Each Local Board has a med
lcal advisor, and a Govem-
merit Appeals Agent. Both an
unpaid volunteers.

The medical advisor reviews
registrants‘ files when asked,
and makes “recommendations"
to the Local Board.

The Government Appeal:
Agent, however, is In 0 r a
important. Each regis-
trant has the right to ho coun-
seled by his Appeals Agent
whenever the registrant be<
lieves he has been unfairly
classifiedr

The Agent is required to help
the registrant prepare a case
for presentation to the Local
Board. He also informs the reg-
lstrant of his rights in the
process of appeal, and continues
to help him with his case until
some conclusion is reached.

unpaid volunteers like the
Appeals Agents are unlikely to
be generous with their time,
and in this case, such poison.
ony may favor the registrant.
The Appcals Agents is required,
not merely to consider the In—
terests ot the registrant, but to
consider equally the interests
of the registrant and the Local
Board.

The result is obviously not
good for the interests of the
registrant. In other words, if
you are considering something
outside the ss laws, don’t tell
the Appeals Agent.

The decisions of the Local
Board can be appealed to State
Boards of Review, which have
the right to overturn local des
cisions.

Registrants should always
keep in mind this appeals proc-
ess Beinre taking any aclion,
and certainly before accepting
as final decisions of a Local
Board, registrants should con-
tact a qualified Draft Counsel-
or (other than the Appeals
Agent).

There is one Soday period
during which the registrant can
appeal to any higher source
within the system until he
reaches the President,

THIS IS THE FIRST IN A
SERIES OF FOUR ARTICLES
CONCERNING THE UNITED
STATES SELECTIVE SERV-
ICE SYSTEM.

Know Your Rights!

The Grinnell Draft Informa-
tion Center has trained counse-
lors available to talk to'any<
one with a draft problem; All

FREE STORE WELFARE FARES WELL

The Free Store, in its short
existence, has helped to dent
the old adage that nothing can
be gotten for free. Even mom
remarkable, considering tho
typical Grinnell temperament,
is the fact that more items are
added each day than are found
to be missing.

Adorning the walls of the
Store, located in the Loose Hail
cloakroom, are various items
such as a Greeting from the
President Dr 3 Draft Induction
Notice, sign-up lists for students
who wish to do, or want some-
thing done for them for free,
and such signs as “Privata
Property is Theft," ”it's all free
because its yours," “America
is the land of the free" “Free
means you don't pay, and
“Tell it to Gwen and get lots of
T. ,C." There is one sign which
might give the store a didactic
purpose, which reads ”Civiliza<
tion Has To Be Rebuilt in Every
Age."

Among some of the newer
Items in the Store is a digger-
circulating “Liberation Shirt,"

which signifies one‘a “libera-
tion" from private property, a
Irishea, toilet paper, a 650 piece
jigsaw puzzle, and two sugar
cubes, Significance of which is
Belfcvidant.

The Free Store's ultimate Sm
cial experiment is an empty
Pepsi can which serves as a
deposit for communal money
(to which good use was already
made by a nameless student
who needed three dollars to fix
a flat tire on her bike).

The idea of a Free Store on
the Grinnell campus belongs
to Bruce Nissen (Loose Junior)
who wishes to point out, in the
communal spirit which per-
vades the store, that many stu-
dents are taking part in its op
eration and that they deserve
most of the credit for the store's
success.

however, to point out that tha
“liberatlo is still incomplete,
tho following sign may be found
in the store: “Any Furnitur-
Is Not Part Of The Free Store.
It Belongs To Loose Hail, so
Don't Take It."

—James Archer

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} Catalogue
(Continued from Page 7)

grades, and credits. By hav-
ing both, we avoid either.

It is, of course, only fair to
point out that the catalogue is
an honest reflection of Grin-
neil: just as the College is
changing, by intention and ac.
cident, so the catalogue do-
scribes it The minds behind
the catalogue belong to men of
good Will and competence,
whose failures to act in aca
oordance with their ideals de-
rive from those residues of
”real life" — as the students
call the non—academic world—-
which academia is still unable
to purge. Discrepancy between
promise and performance is
the general lot ot mail; only
when the discrepancy is too
great no we, and should we,
become indignant. indignation
is not, I think, the right re—
sponse either to the. new cataa
loguo or to what it mirrors.
Hard criticism is'aiways in
order, and be it to the greater
glory of Grinnell that it en~
Bill. the members of ill
“community" (p. ll), faculty,
studcnu, and administration,
to learn how to beycriticai,

which means, let us all re<
member, “discerning" and not
“censorious”.

—Axylus

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persons who are unsuro of
their status With tho SS sys-
tem, or who intend to apply
for special dcfcrments, are
urged to contact the GDlC,

The Center is located at 1205
Park St. (Conference House).
Inlormatinn is available on all
courses at action, and the GDIC
is not in any way limited to
giving advice on resisting the
Draft.

Labor of Love

Shakespeare has provided a
funny, punny, and bawdy play
for the theatre department’s
first major production of tho
year, “Love’s Labor's Lust." It
will be presented in Robcru
Theatre on Oct, 11, 18, and n.

According to the director, Mr.
Robert Ingham (Instructor of
Theatre), if. was “time to do
Shakespeare”; also this partic-
ular play is well suited for a
student cast since the charac-
ters' ages are close to the ab-
tors’ actual ages.

Some of the major characters
(and actors) a Berowne
(William Sayior, 70), 3031’:
(Ray Raptor, '10), Princess
(Elizabeth Wichman, '72),
Rosaline (Brenda Thomas, '69),
and Don Armada (Charles Kim-
brough, Actor in Residence).
The student director is Joan
Ehrenreich; the property mis
tress is Jane Buchhoiz; and tho
costume mistress is Martha
Landewne. The costumes were
designed by Rosemary ingham.

The production is going well,
and the crew and Cast are anti-
cipating great fun in presenting
it to the college.

BRIEFS

Photographs, drawings. and
plans of “Early Chicago Ar-
chltecture" will be shown in
Sciiaeffer Gallery from Satur-
day until October 20. They in<
ciudc such works as Wright's
Rooie House and Adler and
Sullivan's unique Auditorium.

Orchesi the College modern
dance group, has increased its
membership after holding try-
outs on September 12. The
group is under the direction of
Mrs. Betty Veertman who was
on leave in Costa Rica last
academic year,

Biology major David Luthy
was recently awarded a Worr-
em Electric Fund Scholarship
for loads.

 

