The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-02-03

DOdTQS llltOuSll-
Johh Lahgston out the country
revolves arounc
deferment Of married men from Sc
lection for army training.
I queried Col. John D. Lansston
, of the advisory council at national
headquarters on the subject.
The colonels a high authority
He's a Goldsboro n. c., lawyer
who had charge Of the draft in his
home state during the last World
war. and won the distinguished
service medal for the competency
of his activities. This time his job
is national. Hes one Of the group
who fathered the present law; also
one Of the elder statesmen who
have nodded and guided the sys-
TENS legal policies.
All right. How about the defer
ment of the selection of married
men for military education?
II a registrant's deferred, OF
course, it's on the ground that, be-
ing married, he has at least one
dependent; possibly several OF
them. And the assumption is that
his dependent or dependents would
be left destitute, and suffer during
the period Of his absence as SOL
der for Uncle Sam.
However, there are married men
with means amply sufficient to
keep their families perfectly well
fed and clothed and housed While
hubby and papa's away.
So is financial dependence, sole
". what the law means by de-
tendency?
Stresses Home Life
'T feel" says Colonel Langston,
chat the selective service princi-
pie will be greatly violated If the
classification Of married men Is
made to depend entirely upon the
question of financial support.
The home life upon which rests
largely the stability Of the nation
should not be disturbed until acute
necessity makes it mandatory To
do SO would be utterly TO destroy
the basic principle that first should
be taken only those whose induc-
ton will least disturb the social,
political and economic status Of
our country.
THE maintenance and integrity
Of the home never depended MAIN
~ upon the monetary contribution
made by the head Of the family
for its support.
1T has depended upon the fact
that from time immemorial the
married man has assumed the re-
sponsibility Of the guidance and
protection Of the home unit, from
which spring the sources of a ma
tons strength. However fnan-
cially independent his wife and
children may be, by reason of in
heritance or otherwise, there is
nothing that can take the place Of
this guidance and protection. They
are every married mans funda-
men Ldl res pOIlS4Ullllys
"Impelled BY a broad conception
OF the necessity for preserving, as
far as possible, the integrity and
unity Of the home, President
Roosevelt prescribed regulations
through which local boards might
approach consideration Of depend
ency cases with sympathetic un-
Outstanding of the Importance Of
the family, and the injuries which
may be expected to result from
the separation Of a father from his
children or a husband from his
wife.
Marital Status Vital
IN true selection a serious mis-
take is made in allowing for reg
istrants personal interest. The
real consideration Is the national
interest, and the prime national in
terest is preservation Of the ma
tons homes. The marital status
is too vital to the social order to
permit the question to be deter
mined in the light Of an occasional
case Of a worthless type Of some
married man. In our zeal for ma
tional defense we mustn't lose our
social mindedness
It's been suggested heretofore,
in connection with the exemption
problem, that a few married men
are no good. It's 70 be noted that
Colonel Langston doesn't believe
that that. in general, should weigh
un6uiy.
II likewise is noteworthy that he
says home life shouldn't be dis
turbed until acute necessity