Evening star., 1940-08-01
100000 Limit
On Conscriiption
Now Delays Bill
Only SOC, 900 Would
Be Called This Fall
Under New Proposal

A proposal to limit to 1000 900 the
number of men who could be ordered
into active training caused the Sen
ate Military Committee today to
seek further War Department tes-
timony on the Burke Wadsworth
compulsory military service bill.
The limitation. suggested by SEN
ator Lee, Democrat, of Oklahoma,
would give the President specific
authority to order conscription of
100000 men between the ages of
81 and 80. inclusive, next October.
A further section of 100000 men
could be. called early next year. al
though the date was not set in a
rough draft of the amendment in
troduced at a closed committee ses-
sion.
Officials 10 Be Questioned.
Senator Bridges said the commit
tee agreed to hear War Department
offlcials on the question tomorrow
morning, thus further delaying final
committee action on the bill, which
had been expected today.
Sections of the bill calling for
registration of all males between
81 and 30 years, inclusive, would not
be disturbed by the amendment,
Senator Bridges said.
Senator Austin, Republican, of
Vermont, reported that members
had agreed informally to postpone
a final committee vote until Monday.
Other actions today included
adoption of an amendment, by SEN
ator Chandler, Democrat. Of Ken
lucky, for exemption of Reserve off,
GERS Training Corps cadets. thus al
lowing them to complete their edu-
cations and obtain Reserve officers
commission before being called for
service.
Senator Guffey, Democrat of
Pennsylvania. proposed that divinity
students be exempted from the con-
scription bills provisions.
Army officers previously had testi-
fed that from the 100000 expect
ed to register in this class. about
4,500,0 were expected to be avail
able for training after all exemp-
tions had been granted.
Meanwhile. Senator Wheeler.
Democrat, of Montana declared that
the action of the committee in
voting to limit registration to men
between 81 and 80, inclusive, did
not alter his objections to the COM
pulsory training program.
The original Burke -Wadsworth
bill called for registration of all
men between 18 and 81, with only
those between 81 and 80 likely to
come under an immediate selective
draft.
Favors Guard Mobilization.
Senator Wheeler announced, how
ever. that he would not oppose leg
islation authorizing the President
to call out the National Guard and
the Officers Reserve Corps for a
years intensive training.
Democratic Leader Barkley de-
cided to take up that bill in the
Senate this afternoon. There was
every advance indication that it
would encounter little opposition.
The unanimous decision of the
committee to narrow the registra-
ton age limits was taken in the
face of growing congressional oppo-
sition to the conscription bill.
Opponents, including Senators
Wheeler, Norris, independent, of
Nebraska; Johnson, Democrat, of
Colorado, and Vandenberg, Repub-
lican, of Michigan, argued that the
special training for the National
Guard should be sufficient at this
time. They also have been advocat-
ing greater efforts to obtain volun-
tary Army enlistments.
The Military Committee made a
concession on that point by voting
to reduce the enlistment period from
three years to one year and to make
voluntary service available to all
men IS to "a. inclusive.
There were indications that the
House Military Committee would
follow the lead OF the Senate group
in requiring registration only for
(see CONsCRIPTION, Page A-s3