The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-08-07
Straight From
Washington
BY STEPHEN NJ. YOUNG
Congressman at Large, Ohio

officer urging that selective service
soldiers must be retained for more
than one year Of training said that
80 per cent of the Army would be
torn down were selective service SOL
diers to be returned to their homes
after years training. This is a wild
statement being about 100 per cent
incorrect Here are the facts: Enlist
ed men in the regular army 100000;
regular army officers 14,7C0, enlist
ed men regular army reserves 49,
600; reserve officers on active duty
$4,000; National Guard in camps $780,
600 enlisted men, National Guard of
ficers 27,800; selective service sol
diers 605,0O0, total 1,462,5O0. Instead
of so per cent, 40 per cent is more
accurate.
Finger Up
"Thumbs up" is the British sym
bol for Garry on" A corps of selec-
tive service soldiers passing through
Washington on trucks expressed
themselves by a signal when they
passed the Capitol. Each soldier held
up one tinger-for zone year"
Compromise (?)
Congressional debate has com
menced on the proposal to keep
draftees and the National Guard in
active service longer than one year.
Legislation is frequently a matter
OF compromise. 1t appears likely
that National Guardsmen, who are
volunteers for service in an emer-
gency, will be held for further train
ing beyond one year and that selec-
tive service soldiers will be permitted
to return to their homes at the expi-
ration of one years service, despite
President Roosevelt's persuasive mes
sage.
Soldiers selected from now on are
likely to be retained for an eighteen
month training period, unless Hitler's
Eropean and As;atic march is stym-
led.
Publicity
The House of Representatives made
importan amendments to the Selec-
tive Service Act. All young men over
27 years Of age have been deferred
from military training.
A most important amendment
adopted requires draft boards to post
publicly reasons for their various
classficatons. This important amend
ment is now the subject Of argument
between the House and the Senate
Secrecy in selective service should not
be tolerated and it is to be hoped that
the amendment adopted by the House
of Representatives providing for the
utmost publicity will be enacted into
law.
w. p. A. Cut
Everyone comedies that non-defense
expenditures should be cut to the
bone and the bone scraped. Neverthe-
less it is an open question whether
Congress in reducing w. p. A. appro-
praitions by cool four hundred and
eighty-sevcn million dollars for the
next fiscal year exercised good iudg
mcnt in every particular. This was
Al per cent cut. Obviously this
drastic cut in w. y. A. appropriations
resulted in elimination from employ
ment of many worthy persons unable
to secure employment in private in
duStry. This was economy with a
vengeance at the expense of the un-
der privileged. The sharpest edge of
the economy AK hit the poorest peo-
A. I',,,t hn, ~, a
Congress exercised poor judgment
For example, w. p. A. sewing prof
ects We're eliminated at time when
our army and navy requires millions
of simple garments such as overalls
w. p. A. sewing projects should be
operating full time making uniforms
blankets and shirts for men in oul
armed forces. Instead, most State
w. p. A. Administrators were com
PEELED to close such projects ano
many w. =. A. workers so employed
have been unable to secure employ
ment in private industry.
Harold Ickes
Harold Ickes, the cabinet scold
whose violent vituperative speeches
comparing Lindbergh to lmburgel
caused one Democratic Congressman
to say what this country needs more
than gasless Sundays is gasless
Secretary of Interior" Mr.. lckes
country estate is more than 20 miles
from his office. This same Congress
man said, "If Mr.. lckes wants to con
tribute personally to saving gasoline
why doesn't he start by moving int(
Washington ?"
Seriously, the facts are, this is tn,
time for national unity and it is un
timely for cabinet official to abus,
a fellow American. Lindbergh has ;
right to state his views notwithstand
ing that most Of us completely dis
agree with him. Freedom of speecl