The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-01
War Profiteering, No. 3
SLIGHT FAITH
is PINNED TO
L!EC|ON'S PLAN
universal Draft Idea Is
Given Little Support
at Hearings.
BY RUTH FINNEY
Times STAFF Correspondent

little possibility that the American
Legion's universal draft plan" for
equalizing the burdens and mini
MIXING the profit of war, will be
recommended to congress this
winter by the war policies commits
sion.
Soon after the war the legion
conceived the idea of a universal
draft, and since then it's members
have been enthusiastically urging
that it be embodied into law. 1t
was largely because of the legion's
insistence that the commission was
created to look ahead at wartime
possibilities and make recommended
tons.
Ralph T. O'Neil, former national
commander of the legion, was called
to testify and began by reading the
resolution adopted in 1922 which
is simple statement of the legion's
principle"
Thinks Name Is Awkward
There should be a universal
draft on not only the man power
but Of the material resources of the
country" said the resolution, first,
so that it would lessen materially
the future possibility of war, and
further that if such national
emergency did present itself to the
nation, We should be prepared with
an orderly, comprehensive plan to
mobilize the entire resources of the
whole country without respect to
any conditions that would limit the
full use of the full power Of our
nation"
'Of course 1 do not think uni
versal draft is a very good name for
any legislation that might be en-
acted" said O'Neill. I'VE used it
because it has been a popular
name"
Instead of literal drafting of ma
terial resources he proposed that
any legislation, in addition to the
existing national defense act, pro-
vide for control over prices of COM
modities for ths government and
the civil population together with
control over service. and recreation
of such agencies as the war indus
tries board, fuel administration
war trade board and food admins
tration.
Suggests Per Cent
Nov in spirit of fairness, ex-
pressed in the fifth amendment to
the Constitution, added O'NeiIl,
that private property shall not be
taken for public use without Just
compensation it is intended
that the money that is exacted
compulsory to pay for war supplies
shall be collected, as are taxes, ac-
cording to the abilities of the tax
payers and the proportionate bene-
fits derived or to be derived from or
loss and damage to be averted by
war.
by compulsory draft, conscrip-
ton, communicating, or taking of
arms, ammunition. food, clothing
and so forth, it is not intended that
they shall be taken without COM
pensation."
Under questioning he suggested
hat z per cent would be a fair re-
yurn on investments for industries
taken over by the government.
Universal Draft Urged
Although the resolution creating
the war policies commission spe-
officially provided that CONSUMPTION
Of labor should not be considered,
ONeil went on to say:
Legislation should be recon-
mended which should provide for
the immediate mobilization of the
resources of our nation. That would
mean the mobilization of men.
money, materials and food; the fix
ing of all prices which means the
fixing of the prices of labor also,
and the regulation and distribution
of production.
1.-THE military authorities should
put into effect the draft of the en-
tire population, from which the re-
quired number of men should be
drawn. . We do not want to
draft capital and we do not want
to draft labor, but we want abso-
Lutte control over both by the gov
eminent.
Commission Bewildered
I'VE want this control right at
the beginning of any war we might
have; we do not want the control
Of labor, for instance, to take place
after the shipyards have raised the
pay of their men from $3.50 day
to $14 day. or whatever it was"
O'Neils position in regard to the
universal draft" apparently left
the commission somewhat bewil-
dered. Representative Ross Collins,
commenting afterward, said, "Ap-
parently the leaders do not want
to take the profits out of war at
all. The rank and file believe that
the legion leaders have been stand
ing for a proposal to take the profits
out of var, AID they are convinced
that this is highly desirable. 1t is a
great pity that the eX-soldierS of