Pentagon Official Says Deferments to Continue

A high defense Department official yesterday spiked rumors of an increased drafting of college students in the near future. The official emphatically declared that the draft program will continue "exactly as it has operated in the past year."

Reports of the probable raising of the draft test score necessary for deferment and of lowering the number of 2A deferments have circulated since Anna Rosenberg. Assistant Secretary of Defense, announced an expected release of over 8,00,000 soldiers over the summer. There will be no raising of the draft test passing mark of 70, according to the manpower official, and 2A deferments will continue to be granted in about the same quantity as before.

Another rumor claimed that student would have to be in the upper quarter of his class to escape the draft, but Selective Service officials denied it.

There will be a considerably larger draft call, but the bulk of draftees will come from the 900,000 men now classified as 1A, the spokesman continued. He added that no change in the status of graduate students is contemplated and that law school students will continue to be classified as undergraduates.

Local Boards Retain Autonomy

Final decisions, however, will still remain with the local draft boards. Under the draft laws, local boards can not grant deferments for periods longer than one year; regulations specifically require reopening of cases at the end of the academic year for all youths granted educational deferments to attend college. This latest information, however, indicates that the local boards will be instructed to continue granting the delays. As of February 29 there were 209,810 students in this category.

High School Students Safe

Prospects for high school students appeared equally bright for receiving deferments in the coming year. Practically any boy planning on going to college this fall as an entering freshman--who made good enough grades in high school to merit consideration--will be assured of spending his first year in college, according to other recent statements from the manpower office.