1942.04.27 “Count Me In”
by Burris A. Jenkins, Jr. (1897-1966)
11 x 17 in, crayon on board
Coppola Collection
Burris Jenkins Jr. was the son of a prominent Kansas City minister, war correspondent and newspaper editor. Jenkins Jr. was a popular sports cartoonist, whose work appeared in the New York Journal-American from 1931. His humorous published verses were also popular. Although best known for his sports themes, Jenkins was also a skilled courtroom illustrator and editorial cartoonist.
The 1942 State of the Union Address was delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1942, just one month after the attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II. Roosevelt's address focused on the wartime mobilization of the nation and emphasized the need for unity and determination in the face of global conflict.
Roosevelt declared that "the spirit of the American people was never higher than it is today," praising the unity and resolve of the nation following the attack. He highlighted the growing alliance among the United Nations, a term he introduced for the coalition of nations fighting the Axis powers.
On September 16, 1940, President Roosevelt had signed into law the first peacetime Selective Service Act. The Act established a peacetime draft, and the service period was initially set at 12 months. The first registration was on October 16, 1940, for males ages 21 to 35 "within the continental United States." The second registration was July 1, 1941, for males "who had reached 21 since the first registration." On August 18, 1941, Congress extended the service of most Army personnel by 18 months through the Service Extension Act of 1941. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, 4 months later, Congress further extended military duty for the duration of the war.
Third registration was February 16, 1942, for men between the ages of 20 and 45 "who had not previously registered." The fourth draft registration (also known as the "Old Man's Registration") was held on April 27th. This registration targeted men born between 45 to 64 years old. Unlike previous registrations, this one was not intended for immediate military service but rather to gather information about the industrial capacity and skills of older men for national service.
April 26, 1942: Men between the ages of 45 and 64 form a line a block long outside the draft board at 329 W. 2nd St. to comply with a new registration order. The men would be called upon to serve in civilian jobs rather than in uniform, The Times says. Among the first to register was one local draft board’s examining physician, Dr. Frederick L. McLeod, who was 63. “This is an all-out war we’re having,” he says. “We’ve got to get behind it. I think everyone should be registered — including women.”
https://ladailymirror.com/2012/04/26/men-45-64-register-with-draft-boards/
Official/NARA and genealogical guides emphasise the registration’s goal: cataloguing civilian skills for “total war” logistics, not frontline induction. That fits the cartoon’s ironic form title, “The Forces of Total Peace.”
