Registration Eraders Face Prosecution

The federal government will begin prosecuting draft registration evaders by next week while anti-draft groups in the area and around the country are planning legal and symbolic resistance to follow shortly after

Justice Department Spokesman John Russell said yesterday that the Attorney General had "sent the word to all U.S. attorneys" to give draft registration prosecutions "special attention" He added however, that "grand jury meetings" and "case preparations" would prevent any action before next Tuesday

Draft activists say demonstrations are being planned in more than 100 cities, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been training lawyers and preparing defense briefs to be used in the first cases.

In Massachusetts, U.S. Attorney William F. Weld said last week that he may not issue guidelines and procedures for indictments until the middle of July, and that nothing would take place in this area until then.

The Boston Alliance Against Registration and the Draft (BAARD) is planning an "emergency press conference" for the day after the first prosecution, no matter when or where the suit taken place. The conference, BAARD member Nora H. Leyland said, will take place at the Arlington St. Church, and will feature Dr. Benjamin Spock. Spock was one of four people arrested at that site in the late 1960s for draft resistance activities.

A demonstration, probably in Boston Common, will take place the following saturday, Loyland added.

Barry Lynn, head of the washington-based Draft Action, said that he doubted very strongly that any of the initial indictments would take place in massachusetts. He added that conversation with resistersindicated that the early action would take place in San Diego,San Francisco, Indiana, or lowe.

Lynn said despite the Justice Department's statements, the first prosecution will most likely take place this Friday. "That's the worst possible time for opposition, except for the day before Christmas, "heexplained, noting the difficulty of staging a demonstration during the July 4th weekend.

In addition to the protests. Draft Action is helping the ACLUmobilize a legal challenge to the enforcement of the Selective Service Act. "We want to gum up the process," Lynn said, adding that the procedure is "infested with constitutional and legal problems."

The Justice Department so far has cleared 160 names for prosecution,turning them over to U.S. attorneys around the country. The majority of these are public resisters who have turned themselves in Both Russell and Weld declined to say how many live in Massachusetts.

The Selective Service System has begun cross-checking registration listswith Social Security records to identify all non-registrants, a number which they estimate at 527,000. These men will be mailed warning letters by the end of the summer.

Anyone convicted of violating the law faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Opponents of registration often argue that this process almost certainly will lead to an actual draft, but army reports released last weekend stated that some of the pressure for mandatory conscription has been relieved. Helped by the recession and pay raises, the armed servicesboasted the most successful recruitment drive since the draft ended in 1973.

But despite providing sufficient numbers, the all volunteer systemis still flawed, according to a study prepared by the Brookings Institution. This report also released over the weekend. shows that the army relies disproportionately on minorities While Blacks make up only 12 percent of the populations, 33 percent of the army is Black, the studysaid