Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-29
Defense Victory

Senate enactment of the Burke
Wadsworth compulsory selective
service bill by fifty eight-to thirty
one vote marks a decisive victory for
those who have taken a realistic
view of the necessities of national
defense.
This measure has been under de-
bate in the Senate for eighteen
. days. During that time every con-
ceivable objection to it has been
raised and thoroughly explored.
Some of these objections have been
substantial, others fantastic, put the
+ net result has been compromise
which authorizes the selection by
lot for one year of training of a
rotating maximum of 100000 men
between the ages of tWenty-one and
thirty-one years. In its present form,
the bill, in the judgment of military
and administration officials, is not
ideal, but as a compromise it is
better than might have been ex-
pected.
One of the more important defects
of the measure is an amendment
which restricts registration to the
age limits within which men may be
called for training. In its original
form the bill called for the registra-
ton of all men who would be eligible
IN Of yxrhy
this should be discarded at time
when we are preparing against the
possibility of war is difficult to
understand, since the information
obtainable by Government author
tiles through broader registra-
ton would be of great value in
peacetime preparedness effort and
essential should hoStilities break out.
The wisdom of the Senate's action
in limiting to 100000 the number of
men who may be indicted into serV-
ice for training at any one time also
is debatable, although this total,
when added to the potential man
power. made available yesterday
when the President signed the Ma
tional Guard bill, may represent the
maximum number who can be trained
effectively with existing equipment
during the coming year.
On the whole, the bill, as enacted
by the Senate, is an impressive
indication that the United States
has awakened to the menace i'm
plicit in current world conditions
and is determined to prepare for
trouble in time of peace instead Of
waiting until the outbreak of war
to begin what would then be the
hopeless task of quickly training
an army. This, of itself, is most
significant advance in American
thinking, and it is to be hoped that
! the House, while taking appropriate
: time for consideration OF such
= changes as may seem desirable, will
: complete favorable action on the
bill in the shortest possible time.
= One last minute amendment
: adopted by the Senate which should
Z receive careful scrutiny in the House
E is that prepared by Senators Russell
: and Overton by which the Govern
5 ment would take over, subject to
subsequent condemnation proceed
ings if satisfactory agreement can
not be reached with the owner, any
industrial plant or facility deemed
necessary to the national defense
effort.
A somewhat similar provision, linn
tied to plants producing naval sup
plies, was tackled onto an earlier
appropriation bill. The new amend
ment would broaden the scope to
include plants having defense con-
tracts other than those of the Navy,
and would substitute condemnation
proceedings for the more arbitrary
exercise of executive powers to decide
the amount to be paid for a COM
Wandered plant. This provision was
adopted by the Senate without adj
vance notice and with virtually no
debate, while the draft of man power
has received most careful considera-
ton. The Russell Overton amend
ment seems to be intended for use
only in extreme cases, and it is more
equitable than the former naval
clause, but II Is only reasonable that
such far-reaching provisions should
receive more careful consideration
before they are written into the
law. This is especially true in view
of the Presidents statement Tues
day that it is Congress and not in
dustry which is primarily responsible
for the delay in the production Of
war equipment.