Draft Reform

Though the House and Senate both voted last month to extend the draft for four more years beyond July 1, they clashed over significant aspects of Lyndon Johnson's authority to carry out his proposed reforms of the Selective Service System. This week a House-Senate conference committee is scheduled to begin bargaining over the differences. Items and prospects:

> THE LOTTERY. One of the President's most controversial proposals would substitute random selection for the present system of inducting eligible men by birthdate priority. The House version requires the President to give Congress 60 days in which to veto the change before he introduces it, while the Senate measure retains presidential jurisdiction. Whatever the outcome, the President would still be free to implement his proposal to draft 19-year-olds first instead of the oldest eligibles as at present.

> UNDERGRADUATE DEFERMENTS. On the politically sensitive question of continuing deferments for full-time students, Johnson took no firm stand and neither did the Senate. The House bill requires that these deferments be maintained up to age 24 unless the President determines that military-manpower needs demand the induction of collegians. The House provision will likely be retained in some form.

> GRADUATE DEFERMENTS. Johnson proposed to end such exemptions, excusing only medical and dental students. The Senate offered no objection, and the House provided only that a presidential board determine if any shortages of critical skills require deferments to be continued in specific fields.

> UNIFORM CRITERIA. Johnson urged clear-cut guidelines to determine registrants' eligibility for deferment on noneducational grounds, such as family hardship. The House concurred, while the Senate bill ignores the issue, leaving the President free to set nationwide standards.

Regardless of what changes are tried and how they work out, imperfections are bound to remain in the draft system. As Johnson said recently, "Complete equity can never be achieved when only some must be selected and only some must serve."

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