Evening star., 1941-07-30
Draft Extension
Voted by House
Committee, Isl
Chairman May to Ask
Special Status on
Aoendu for Bill
By the Associated Press.

3, the Associated Press.
The House Military Affairs Com
mittee today approved legislation to
retain selectees, National Guards
men, Reserve officers and enlisted
personnel of the Army for military
training beyond one year.
The committee vote was Is to 7
for the legislation. which was iden-
tical with that approved by the Sem
ate Military Affairs Committee, ex-
cept for an addition TO permit the
President to order Guardsmen TO
serve more than one 12-month train
ing period.
Chairman May of the House COM
mittee said he would appear before
the Rules Committee Friday 10 ask
a special status for the legislation
on the House agenda.
Debate Hoped Next Week.
Mr.. May said he hoped TO start
floor debate on the measure next
week and predicted that "unques-
tionably it will pass the House"
The reason I think so, he added,
"is that Congress hasn't got 10 the
point yet where it is willing to wreck
the United States Army in the face
Of impending peril"
Representative Short, Republican,
of Missouri, an opponent of the
measure, disagreed with the chair
man.
1T will be a pretty hard fight" he
said. We will make it as tough as
possible
This afternoon committee Repub-
hcans will confer on strategy and
plans. They tried, and failed. to
substitute for the bill which the
committee finally approved legisla-
ton which would authorize reten-
ton of guardsmen. Reserve officers
and enlisted men, but which would
not include selectees.
Taft Plant Gets Support.
In the Senate, where the bill was
down for debate, an opposition group
disclosed that it would unite be-
hind the proposal Of Senator Taft,
Republican, of Ohio TO have a
maximum of l6 months service fixed
for selectees.
Under existing law the maximum
now is II months, not only for
selectees, but also for Guardsmen
and Reserves. The pending legisla-
ton would authorize President
Roosevelt to extend this period so
long as he deemed it necessary for
national defense. Congress, how
ever, could terminate this authority
by the passage of concurrent reso-
luton.
Senator Thomas, Democrat, OF
Utah. floor manager for the bill,
said he expected passage before the
week end.
Senator Pepper, Democrat, OF
Florida told reporters he felt op-
position to the measure was subsid-
ing as the country learned the
necessity for the move
Compares Army With Watch.
The people are finding out that
taking few thousand men out of a
modern army. by allowing the Sc
lecteeS to 60 home each month as
their time ends, is like taking a few
pieces out Of watch" he said.
Congress, meanwhile, was still
short of final action on legislation
for the deferment of selective service
registrants above 28 years old.
The House yesterday rejected
compromise legislation which would
have provided for this and also for
authorizing the President to seize
industrial plants when production
interruptions impede the defense
program.
The House conferees were in
structed to insist further on the
House amendments, which elimi-
mated from a Senate bill any ref
erence to plant seizure. These in
structions were interpreted by some
of them to mean they could agree
only to mandatory deferment for
selectees who were % years old July
/. and House parliamentarians said
this view was correct.
Seizure Provisions Eliminated.
Originally the legislation passed
the Senate giving the President dis
cretionary power to defer induction
Of men % years old, and giving him
authority to seize plants when fail
ures of production threatened the
defense program and the failure
was due to labor disputes in which
there had been failure to use Fed
eral mediation or conciliation IA
cilities. The House Military Com
mittee substituted more drastic plant
seizure provisions, opponents argued
and the House eliminated all plant
seizure provisions. but voted for
mandatory deferment Of men 2s
years old July ! or on any subse-
quent July l.