Evening star., 1940-09-06
Conscription
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This left 80 members absent and un-
recorded.
While the amendment would not
prevent the War Department from
going ahead with registration and
other preparations for the selective
service program, supporters of the
bill appealed to the House not to
let the word 60 out to the country
and the world that Congress is
hesitating in developing adequate
man power for defense of this hem
iSphere.
Several times during yesterdays
debate speakers referred to the fact
that the 6O-day postponement would
put off the drafting of men until
after election day.
Fish. Seeks Another Change.
Having won this first skirmish,
Representative Fish, Republican, of
New York told reporters last night
one more amendment, reducing the
life of the training program from
five to two years, would have to be
adopted before he would vote for
final passage of the bill. While the
process of building up a trained
citizen reserve under the bill would
continue until 1945, each individual
would be subject to training for only
one year.
One of the major issues awaiting
House action is the question of how
far to go in allowing the War and
Navy Departments to draft" indus
trial plants when satisfactory terms
cannot be reached with the owners
to turn out national defense orders.
In last-minute plea to the House
not to accept the Fish postpone
ment, Majority Leader Rayburn re-
counted the rapid fall of Poland,
Holland, Belgium and France, and
reminded his colleagues that an ad-
ditional go days of preparedness
would have meant great deal to
these countries.
In opposing the 60-day delay,
Representative Thomason, Demo-
crat, of Texas predicted that even
If the amendment carried, its author
Representative Fish. would not sup
port the bill. Mr. Fish interrupted
to say he would be very much in
clined' to support it, but wanted to
see what other changes are made.
After the House had adjourned
Mr.. Fish said he would only vote
for it if one more amendment is
made, limiting the plan to two years.
Representative Short, an opponent
of the bill, contended the vote on the
Fish amendment reflected the feeling
of the country, because the entire
membership of the House faces elec-
tion this year and keeps in closer
touch with public sentiment than the
Senate, where only one-third of the
membership is up for election. A
similar postponement was rejected
in the Senate. 43 to Al.
Representative Wadsworth, Re-
publican, of New York. co-author of
the training bill, said the 60-day
postponement creates bad psychol-
ogy.
Attached to the Fish amendment
is a motion by Representative Mich
OILS, Democrat, of Oklahoma, to make
sure each State and the District will
be given credit for the number Of
its citizens who volunteer before
draft quotas for each State are fixed.
Under the Fish amendment, the
President could issue proclamation
Immediately after passage of the
bill, calling for 100000 volunteers,
and registration Of men between 81
and "A, inclusive, could proceed, but
no draftees could be inducted until
after go days, and then only to the
extent that the call had not been
filled by volunteers. Another call
could be issued January /.
Two Senators expressed conflict
ing views over the conscription bill
in separate radio speeches last
night.
Senator Burke, Democrat, of Ne
braska, Senate author of the meas
ure, contended that it was the very
essence of democracy that along
with the privileges of a free So
ciety, which are enjoyed by all alike,
the obligations and responsibilities
must rest upon all in equal meas
| ure''
But Senator Taft, Republican, OF
| Ohio asserted:
1T is said that compulsory draft
is a democratic system. I deny 1t
has anything to do with a democ-
racy. 1t is far more typical of
totalitarian nations than of demo-
cratic nations. 1t is absolutely op-
posed to the principles of individual
liberty which have always been con-
sidered a part of American democ-
racy."