Findings of Selective Service Examinations

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Abstract
A Selective Service rejection rate, to Feb. 1, 1944, of 45% cannot be directly compared to the rate of 30% in World War I because the base of examination, as well as standards, were different. There is certainly no evidence of improvement in the physical status of young men in the interim. Mental disease caused the greatest number of rejections in the present war and was 10th on the list in 1917-1918, but rejections for mental deficiency and epilepsy remained about the same. Syphilis rejections, high in the early part of this war, run about the same as the last war, after a reduction of standards and acceptance of uncomplicated cases. In general, rejection rates have been somewhat higher for negroes than for whites. Data seems to indicate that the prevalence of tuberculosis among living negroes is not far different from that of whites. Comparison of the data available from the Hagerstown studies showed that many of the physical defects causing rejection were apparent when the men were examined as children 15 yrs. ago. Thus 60%, then underweight children, failed to meet present standards as compared to 45% who had normal wt. in childhood and the number of teeth defects per 100 children was twice as high among those later rejected as among those placed in Class 1-A. Prevention of conditions which lead to disqualification as soldiers should be more adequate.

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