Reading Eagle (October 4, 1940)
10,000 DRAFT LOTTERY CAPSULES ARE ORDERED
Washington, Oct. 4 (AP) –
Uncle Sam has 10,000 capsules on order – but not for medicinal purposes.
The capsules – the same kind a druggist uses for prescriptions – are for the “conscription lottery” that will determine the order in which men are to be called for their year’s service in the Army.
Before the lottery is held, serial numbers will be inserted in the capsules corresponding to the serial numbers given to draft eligibles when they register. The order in which the numbers are drawn will determine the sequence in which eligibles are liable to service.
The capsules, about an inch in length, differ from the drug store variety in that they have a bright blue inner coating to conceal the number they contain.
The famous “goldfish bowl” from which World War draft numbers were drawn will be used for the forthcoming lottery. Now in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, it will be brought here a few days before the drawing.