Evening star., 1941-08-10
House Approval Seen
For 18-Month Army
Service Compromise

Foes Ready to Offer
Dozens Of Amendments
To Bill Senate Voted
BACKGROUND
President Roosevelt, insisting
that release OF citizen soldiers at
end OF ~ months training ,Could
dtSintegrate Army, has asked
Congress to acknowledge" na-
tional emergency to permit Sc
lectees, ReserUiStS and National
Gu1rdSmen to be continued on
dctipe duty indefinitely in line
NTH Selectipe Service Act pro-
piston that President could er-
tend their service whenever Con-
greSS declared national interest
1Dus imperiled. Senate has passed
compromise bill for 18-month
ertention OF service.
By the Associated Press.
House Republicans drafted amend
ments by the dozen yesterday for
attempts to modify administration
legislation which would keep the
Armys rank and file in service in
definitely, and, meantime, Demo
cratic leaders talked privately OF
compromise.
Polls taken by leaders of both
parties showed that the vote this
week on the question of unlimited
extension of service would be so
close that a few members, now un-
committed, could turn the outcome
either way. But. at the same time,
these surveys indicated that an l8-
month inuation-already ap-
proved by the Senate-might win
q House majority.
Foes Seek Two Main Changes.
Democrats said the fate of the
bill probably would be determined
by the votes of their large blocs
from New York City, Philadelphia
and Chicago.
AS President Roosevelt's lieuten-
ants sought to influence a group of
80 or 40 doubtful Democrats, Re-
publican members of the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee arranged a
conference to discuss their strategy.
Representative Short, Republican,
of Missouri, one of the floor lead
ers of the opposition to the legisla-
ton, said the minority would make
their principal fight for these two
amendments:
/. To make the continuation of
service beyond the present 12-month
period apply only to National Guard,
Reserves and enlisted men, thus per-
mitting the selectees to be dis
charged at the end of their year of
training.
2. To eliminate preamble decla-
ration of policy which says that the
national interest is imperiled."
Preamble Statement discussed.
1--WE do not feel that Congress
should at this time continue Sc
lectees in our Army beyond their
12-month period of training and
service" Representative Short said
"For us to keep them longer than
that would be breach of faith, or
at least considered so, on the part
Of the Government"
Some legislators contended that
elimination of the declaratory state
ment from the preamble would re-
move the heart of the bill. The
original Selective Service Act said
that the selectees would be retained
for not more than II months ex-
cept whenever the Congress has
declared that the national interest
Is imperiled."
Representative Short said the mi
nority also would oppose suspension
of the present provision limiting the
number OF selectees in training IN
any year to 100000.
Opposes Releasing Married Men.
Representative Fish, Republican
of New York, who said scores" ol
amendments would be presented
said he would propose the release
of all married soldiers, Nationa
Guardsmen and selectees.
Informed sources said the Demo
cratic leadership was giving serious
consideration to offering an 18-
month mpromise-similar to the
Senate-approved bill.
Without commenting on that pos
sibility, Chairman May of the Mill
tary Affairs Committee said thai
provisions of the Senate bill would
be agreeable to him. But he ano
Representative Faddis, Democrat, Of
PENNSYLVANIA, another committee
member, expressed the opinion that
the House bill, making the term OF
service indefinite, should be
adopted.
Conference Revision Seen.
Some Democrats expressed the
opinion that it did not make much
difference what restrictions the
House approved because the Senate
and House bills would be sent to a
joint Senate-House committee COM
prised predominantly of administra-
tion leaders who would then bring
back a new bill which would have
to be accepted or rejected in whole
Representative Smith, Democrat
Of Connecticut, another committee
man, said in statement that Hit
ler's methods make obsolete q
fixed period of service, even though
q formal state of peace exists"
Certainly no one will deny the
necessity of maintaining our forces
at the highest degree of prepared
ness possible" he continued. This
was true when the Selective Service
and Training Act was adopted ano
4 is more important today"
Brazil is building a new airplane