FDR at the Selective Service Draft Lottery, October 1940

In September 1940, the U.S. Congress passed and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the resumption of compulsory military service. During the next six weeks, men were required to register, they received draft numbers and the government prepared to conduct a selective service lottery. On October 29, 1940, President Roosevelt, Cabinet officers, Members of Congress and a crowd of more than one thousand people assembled in the Interdepartmental Auditorium on Constitution Avenue in Washington. In these film clips, FDR first speaks to the men of the United States. Attorney General Robert H. Jackson is visible over the Presidents left shoulder. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, blindfolded, subsequently draws a capsule from a fishbowl. The capsule is opened and Stimson hands the first draft number to the President. FDR, standing next to his military aide Major General Edwin M. (Pa) Watson, then announces the number: 158. In response, a woman screams audibly—it is her sons draft number.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Franklin D. Roosevelt
• FDR
• draft
• military draft
• draft lottery
• Selective Service Act of 1940
• Robert H. Jackson
• Attorney General
• Henry L. Stimson
• Secretary of War
• Edwin M. Watson
• Pa Watson

[inkey2]

@MichelleLovesHayat FDR was right to start the draft. Nazi Germany was starting to roll over Europe and w/in one year Pearl Harbour was bombed and knocked out nearly our entire Pacific fleet. Up until this time the United States was dreadfully unprepared for war and our military was actually ranked as low as 18th in the world. FDR could see that there was no way out of war.....unless we wanted to let Germany & italy own all of europe and Japan own all of Asia....we had no choice but to go to war

[1988scottcarey]

welcome to america lol

[MichelleLovesHayat]

This is fucking sick. FDR acts like he's announcing a winning lottery ticket. Oh, yeah, which lucky boy is going to be the power elite's first sacrificial lamb? Someone should have drafted FDR, see how he likes it.