Thinning Crop

The Army was gleaning the draft crop last week for ready-made technicians. Two years ago the harvests had been rich; almost 50% of the draftees had various technical skills. Now, as Selective Service raked over the green crop of youngsters who formed the bulk of new draftees, officials found that only some 180 out of every 1,000 had "usable skills."

The Army, which had anticipated this, had appealed to U.S. schools for help. Sensitive to criticism that it was militarizing the U.S. educational system, the Army never went beyond appeal. Educators responded, set up intensive preinduction courses. But the most that secondary schools could teach was fundamentals. Young draftees now have little or no actual experience.

The only place the Army can look now for ready-made technical experts is among men deferred on account of jobs in essential industries--or among the yet unharvested crop of ripe oldsters, aged 38-45, whom the Army decided once it did not want.

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