The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-08-08
(By Staff Writer)

(By Staff Wrlter)
Washington.-The whole nation
is about to get foretaste OF what
war, or at least preparation for
war. means. With almost no ap-
parent opposition in Congress, the
outlook is that before Summer IS
over, every male citizen OF the
United States between the ages
of 10 and 81 will have been regis
tered for military service. In the
same period, or shortly thereat-
ter, every alien residing in this
country will be registered, so
that the police can put their
hands On them at any time.
The estimate is that about three
million aliens will be finger-prln-
ted and otherwise identified. The
citizens of fighting age will also
be finger-printed, so that II any
of them tries to dodge when his
number is called he can be picked
up and sent to prison or fined OF
both. There will be about Il MIL
lion of those. Each will get
number.
On October l, if no slip occurs
in the present plans, numbers
will be drawn out of jar. Each
number may be held by several
hundred men between the ages
of q and 80, scattered all over
the country. There will be 4oo'-
600 such men called in the tlrst
draft. The numbers will be pub
lished in every corner OF the lano'
and each man whose number has
been drawn will have to report
to a designated place for year
of military training.
Only Single Men
Onlv single men are to be taken
IN this first draft, and ''key men"
in essential industries and others
who can give valid reasons why
thew should not 60 into training
will be exempted. But the idea
IS to start 100000 into military
service, under Army and National
Guard officers, just as quickly as
nossible, and keep them in uni
forms for a year. Next April the
plan is to conscript another 4oo'-
600 and a year from October
400. 900 more, and so on.
These men will get quarters
subsistence and $21 month Wag-
es Washington hears that many
business concerns have agreed 10
keep employees on their payrolls
through the training period. Inc
Senate committee put into the
new law a provision that an en-
ployer who refuses to relnstate an
employee because of absence LOT
q wear of military training snail
be considered guilty of unfair Ia
Dor practices.
Provision is expected to be
made in another bill, now beng
drafted. for the payment by the
Government of such items as lie
insurance premiums and mort
gage payments which sololer
in training could hardly be eX-
pected to pay out of his Szl
month.
That is the beginning OF the
Army's program for an armed
land force of not less than two
million men as quickly as posi-
BILE.
Less Optimistic
William Knudsen, the industrial
production expert of the National
Defense Council, reporting to a
committee of Congress on the
progress of production Of equip
ment and ornaments for the new
army and the navy, was not SO
optimistic in some respects as his
former employer, Henry Ford,
about the speed with which fight
ing airplanes can be turned out.
Mr.. Ford some weeks ago said
he could turn out a thousand
planes day, beginning SIX
months after he got the order.
The British Government has. or
dered $4,000 planes in this coun-
try, to be delivered at the rate
of 5000 a month through 1941
and 1912.
Mr.. Knudsen indicated that to
fill that order would require the
building of SO additional plants,
if production were to be kept up
for our own needs, and that it
would be the middle of 1912 be-
fore the total production of mill
tary planes, for the United States
and others, could reach 5000 a
month, as he saw it. By July
1912, he expects the industry to
be turning out fighting planes