Evening star., 1941-06-26
U. 5. Likely 10 Give
Formal Approval TO
Foreign Legion Soon
Americans Could Fight
For Britain or China
To Aid This Country
BY JOHN Nj. HIGHTOWER,
Associated Press Staff Writer

Associated Press Stan Writer
The United States probably will
give formal, full-ledged approval
within a few days to the enlistment
of American men in the British or
Chinese war effort, either for actual
combat duty or for non-combatant
technical work behind the lines.
The enlistments would be sane
toned officially as service in the
interest of national safety.
Informed persons predicted this
development would come with is
suance by selective service headquar-
terS here of a memorandum to State
directors formally directing that de-
ferment be given to registrantS who
wish to volunteer for duty abroad.
RoOsevelts Comment Recalled.
A final decision to issue the memo
randum has not been made, officials
said, but at selective service head
quarters it was looked upon as a
virtually inevitable step after Presl-
dent Roosevelt told his press confer
ence Tuesday that an man who
wants to enlist in Brltaln'S or
China's fighting forces has perfect
right to do so.
The President explained the Brit
ish no longer require Americans to
take an oath of allegiance to the
King a procedure by which they
would lose their American citizen
ship and become British subjects.
Previously the administration had
approved a British drive in this
country to recruit several thousand
technicians to help manufacture and
service Britain'S new airplane radio
locator. or to do other expert me-
chanical duty.
The Presidents statement about
the right of young men to join the
British armed forces, coming on top
of that previous development, gen.
orally was looked upon here as little
more than an invitation to American
youths so inclined to enlist. Can
ada, it was pointed out, was con-
venient for this purpose, as far as
volunteers for Britain are concerned.
Most Are in Draft Group.
The hitch at present to any gen.
eral movement of that sort, how
ever, lies in the fact that most men
of fighting quality or high technical
efficiency are within the 21-35 age
group registered for military train
ing here under the Selective Service
Act
None of these men may leave their
local registration districts for any
cause without permission from their
selective service boards and none
may leave the country without writ
ten proof to the State Department
that they have selective service per-
mission. In effect, this means they
must be put in a deferred classical
ton before they 60 abroad.
Essentially this same problem
arose about three months ago when
the Red Cross began enrolling doc
tors for service in the Royal Army
Medical Corps and the British
Emergency Medical Service. Brig,
Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, deputy di-
rector of selective service, solved it
then by formally requesting State
directors that all proper action be
taken by selective service agencies
within your State with respect to
the deferment and the granting of
permits to leave the United States to
such enrollees."
Deferment Necessary.
Officials here said this means that
deferments should be granted by
placing the registrants signing up
for service in Britain in selective
service liza. Regulations provide
that a man may be put in the
classification if he is engaged in an
occupation or service the MAIN
tenance of which is necessary to
the national health, safety, or in
terest in the sense that it is useful
or productive and contributed to
the employment or Well-being OF
the community or the Nation"
In the case of permitting men to
go abroad to fight for Britain or
China, or to help behind the lines,
1t was said, the consideration would
be one of providing for the ma
tional safety"
The British campaign for techni-
clans was announced here and in
London last week. There has been
speculation that if it proved sue
cessful other, similar drives might
be undertaken informally should
it become desirable from the point
of view of British-American policy.
For instance, an attempt might be
made to enroll new hundreds of
young men in the R. A. F., in addi-
ton to those already serving.
Any such undertaking would have
to be entirely informal and indi-
rect, however, since the Neutrality
Act forbids recruiting in the United
States by belligerent.