Resistance to draft likely

Press, 22 July 1980, Page 8

Resistance to draft likely

NZPA-Reuter Washington The United States has begun requiring 19 and 20-year-old men to sign up for the draft, even though . the law under which registration is resuming could be ruled unconstitutional before their next birthday because it excludes women. After a flurry of late legal moves, in which a Federal Court blocked registration only to be overruled by Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, an estimated 4 million young men are to fill out information cards at post offices over the next two weeks, Within 90 days they will receive formal notice through the mail that they are registered for possible induction in the event of a national emergency. During the registration the men are required to fill out a card giving their name, sex, date of birth, current address, permanent address and social security number. Leaders of. draft protest movements planned demonstrations across the • country. Several peaceful protests, including one near the White House, • were held over the week-end. Draft critics vowed to go to many post offices to urge registrants to place a gummed label on their forms declaring “I am registering under protest” on their cards.