The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-09-13
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DRAFT MUST BE CLEAN

DRAFT MUST BE CLEAN
NEW 'YORK.--In a matter In
which you have given your heart
especially when you were very
young, you are likely to take your.
self too seriously. Maybe I am do
ing that about selective service.
But on that subject ! feel sometimes
the agony that David Warfield made
SO clear to everybody in 'sThe. Re-
turn of Peter Grimm"
You remember that the gentle old
florist had left some advice and di-
rections to his children before he
passed into the realms Of infinite
knowledge.
There he learned the tragic error
OF those requests. In the effort of
his disembodied spirit to come back
and avert disaster he suffered be-
cause, although he could mingle I'M
seen with his beloved, he couldn' t
get his message to their ears.
think two of the most poignant
words I have ever heard on our
stage are his unnoted cry of an
guish, Hear mel"
feel little that way about the
Burke Wadsworth selective service
bill. AS I have written before, it
makes the classification, selection
and deferment of men a matter of
personalized executive discretion.
There is something of a technical
ity here, but it is not an unimpor-
tant one. It is at the very heart
Of the democracy and public con-
fdence and success in this effort.
The bill as written, and even as
amended by the senate, does not
repose in the exclusive and uncon-
trolled jurisdiction of the selective
service boards the absolute and
final decisions as to which men shall
be taken for military service and
which shall be selected for civilian
service. That could convert the
whole effort from perfect use of
our democratic institution of local
self-government to a possible hog
pen Of favoritism, influence and per-
haps Of political patronage and pres
sure.
Now I know that this is the wish
Of neither the President, nor Mr..
Willkie, nor any member of con-
gress or politician with influence in
this effort. One of the most inspir-
ing things about this legislation
is the effort on all sides to take it
out of politics. I know that Mr..
Roosevelt wants to keep it clean.
I know that, apart from the I'M
doubted patriotism of this wish, it
could ruin any administration or any
politician not to keep it clean. This
legislation will, sooner or later, af-
feet, directly or indirectly, and,
much or little, every home and fam
lily in this country in the most sacred
of relations. 1t can't have even the
color Of unfairness or favor.
This understandable oversight is a
simple result of the slap-dash fash
ion in which this bill was put to-
gether. There are other errors
clearly revealed by experience.
They can be corrected later without
great harm. This one can't.
called this fatal oversight to the
attention of some senators who
seemed to sense its importance
without argument. An amendment
reported in the press from the house
committee, at least as reported,
does not cure the fault.
If, in the present rush for passage,
nobody else gives attention to this
grave error, I hope the President
himself will do so. sometimes sus-
pect that he does not altogether en-
Enthusiastically approve of some of
the issues in this column. On this
particular subject, however, am
sure that he comedies its informa-
ton, experience and his intense
common purpose with even this col
umnist, no matter how far he
speaks, de profundis, from the of
fetal dog house. It is an essential
matter Of national defense.