Evening star., 1940-12-31
White House Support
Seen for Plan 10 Limit
Draft Age 10 Il
Administration Booking
For Swiss System Forecast
In Some Defense Quarters
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Defense man power, certain to 0c-
cupy Congress at the new session
along with more difflcult problems
involved in speeding up the produc-
ton of munitions and other equip
ment, will bring several early pro-
posals to amend the selective serv-
Ice law, at least one of which has
q good chance of administration
support, it was learned today.
Officials concerned in the defense
program think it likely the admin
istration will back plan to pattern
selectlve service after this year on
the Swiss system, with all available
and fit youths of 81 called up each
year instead of the present mass
registration of all men between the
ages of 81 and 36. Should this
amendment be adopted existing
registration rolls would be used to
provide all needed men for military
training until the new system be-
came effective.
President Confers With Dykstra.
President Roosevelt conferred with
C. A. Dykstra, director of selective
service, only a few days ago, ad-
mittedly on this proposal The
President is known to be interested
in the plan and is reported to have
asked selective service officials to
make a study of it for him While
the announced attitude of these Of
fcials is that they will advocate no
changes in the law until summoned
by congressional committees and
asked their opinion. the draft of
2l-year-olds is known to have strong
support among the Regular and Re
serve officers on duty at national
headquarters.
The proposed amendment is to be
one of the first bills dropped in the
hopper at the session beginning
Friday
Another suggested amendment,
on which administration sources
have been noncommittal, would
raise the limit on selectiye service
trainees who may be modified at
one time This limit now is 900 900.
Those who believe the training of
this number every year is too slow
IN view of the world crisis may
propose a higher limit-or leave it
to the War Department to induct
any number of men feasible"
Seen as Defense Element.
This would be in line with the
"all out" defense of the demo-
cracies urged so imperatively in the
Presidents address over the air
Sunday night. While he did not
mention man power, it should keep
pace with procurement, in the
opinion of observers.
So desperate has been Britain's
need for war supplies and so COM
plex the problem of overcoming
the lag in defense procurement for
this country and the democracy
overseas. no effort has been made
to speed up the Army training pro-
gram. But this is sure to come IN
for sharp debate during the session
The Selective Service Law provides
that except in time of war there
shall not be in active training or
service in the land forces of the
United States at any one time .
more than 100000 men inducted
under the provisinos of this act"
With big construction program
at training centers a prerequisite,
the War Department did not plan
to call more than 300, 900 the first
year Of conscription. And this train
ing schedule was slowed almost to
standstill during the early months
by the failure of cantonmentS, water
supplies and other facilities to take
shape as rapidly as planned. At the
moment it is uncertain whether the
Army can call out the allotted
number by next July.
Facilities Influence Viewpoint.
While officers at the War Depart
ment say they have no intention of
recommending a higher limit to the
training quotas and would be unable
to train more men at time, they
speak with an eye on present facil-
tiles. If they are given more hous-
ing later, they can train larger
numbers.
The plan to call up each year
class of 81" is expected to enlist
more immediate support in Con-
gress. Advocates point out that, as
permanent selective service
system, this would have many
advantages, chief of which is that
more youths of 81 would be found
suitable for military service
physically. vocationally and eco
nomically-than among the wider
group of age limits Some defense
ofncials look for America to keep
selective service as defense insur-
ance, even after peace is restored
in Europe
Alternative plans may be proposed,
such as the annual registration of
men between l8 and q. The fact
that younger men would remain
better risks as reserve soldiers for
10 years following their year of
active duty is compelling argument
AS it Is, some men now being in
Quoted will be As before their re-
serve period Is over.