The boards proceeded promptly to call, to examine physically and to consider claims for exemption of over one and one half million men, a sufficient number to fill the first national quota of 687,000.  Thus in less than three and one-half months the nation had accepted and vigorously executed a compulsory service law.

On June 5, 1918, 753,834 men were added to the rolls.  On August 24, 1918, that number was increased by 159,161; finally on September 12, 1918, under the provision of the act of August 31, 1918, 13,228,762 were added to the lists of those available for military service, which, including interim and other accessions, amounted to a grand total of 24,234,021 enrolled and subject to the terms of the Selective Service law.  This tremendous exhibition of man power struck terror to the heart of the Hun and hastened him to, if possible, deliver a telling blow against the Allies before the wonderful strength and resources of the American nation could be brought to bear against him.

Commenting on the facility with which the selective draft was put into effect, the report of the Provost Marshall General stated in part: 

“The expedition and smoothness with which the law was executed emphasized the remarkable flexibility, adaptability and efficiency of our system of government and the devotion of our people.  Here was a gigantic project in which success was staked not on reliance in the efficiency of a man, or an hierarchy of men, or, primarily, on a system.  Here was a bold reliance on faith in a people.  Most exacting duties were laid with perfect confidence on the officials of every locality in the nation, from the governors of states to the registrars of elections, and upon private citizens of every condition, from men foremost in the industrial and political life of the nation to those who had never before been called upon to participate in the functions of government.  By all administrative tokens, the accomplishment of their task was magic.”

No distinction regarding color or race was made in the selective draft law, except so far as non-citizen Indians were exempt from the draft.  But the organization of the army placed Negro soldiers in separate units; and the several calls for mobilization, were, therefore, affected by this circumstance, in that no calls could be issued for Negro registrants until the organizations were ready for them.  Figures of total registration given previously in this chapter include interim accessions and some that automatically went on the rolls after September 12, 1918.  Inasmuch as the tables prepared by the Provost Marshall General’s department deal only with those placed on the rolls on regular registration days and do not include the accessions mentioned, comparisons which follow will be based on those tables.  They show the total registration as 23,779,997, of which 21,489,470 were white and 2,290,527 were black.  Following is a table showing the distribution of colored and white registrants by states: