Carter orders sign-up for draft

President Carter has ordered 4 million American men born in 1960 and 1961 to register for the draft between July 21 and Aug. 2 -- the first selective-service sign-up since the draft was ended in 1975 by President Ford.

The President's order on Wednesday came less than a week after he signed into law a hard-fought bill providing more than $13 million to pay for registration, Monitor correspondent John Yemma reports.

While issuing the proclamation, Mr. Carter repeated that he is "not in favor of a peacetime draft" and said the nation will continue to rely on volunteers for military service. Under the registration bill, there will be no actual draft unless Congress approves of it during a military emergency.

The sign-up will be conducted at 34,000 post offices throughout the nation. No physical examinations, classifications, or inductions will occur at that time.