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Carter's draft proposals

I have not called for and do not anticipate calling for a draft," said Jimmy Carter. "We are advocating [only] registration for a draft." But a law passed by Congress in November required the President last week to spell out the kind of draft he would ask the legislators to approve if one ever did become necessary.

The main features of Carter's 62-page message:

> Men and women born before 1960 would escape service entirely; they would not even be asked to register. All Americans born in 1960 and 1961 would register this year, assuming that Congress votes authorization. People born in 1962 would register next January and from then on other young men and women would register on their 18th birthdays.

> If a draft began, 20-year-olds would be called first, by lottery; on the same day that Congress authorized a draft, the Selective Service would hold a drawing to establish an "order of call" for young people to appear before their draft boards.

> There would be only one categorical exemption, for "ministers of religion" -- a title that few 20-year-olds could claim. Otherwise, said Selective Service Spokesman Brayton Harris, "there will be no student deferments, no occupational deferments and no automatic deferments for family status," meaning that married youths, young fathers and even mothers would be subject to induction. Local draft boards, however, could defer those who pleaded excessive hardship or asked to be excused as conscientious objectors.

At this point the discussion is totally theoretical. No draft boards exist; the Selective Service system is only now drawing up guidelines for choosing members. Congress will not balk at requiring men to register. But Speaker Tip O'Neill reports that the House is "overwhelmingly" opposed to registering women, despite Carter's assurance that he would never permit "the use of women in combat." Signing up men only, if that is what emerges from Congress, would almost certainly be challenged in the courts on the ground that it would be discriminatory.

In the meantime, protests against registration continued on college campuses across the country, though crowds were small. The first real indication of the strength of anti-registration sentiment probably will be the turnout at a demonstration planned by protest groups in Washington on March 22.

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