Evening star., 1941-07-17
Marshall Urqes
.EmergencyCa||.
ByCongress
Lifting of Year Rule
Is VituI Necessity,
He Declares
By GOULD LINCOLN.

Gen. George C. Marshall, Army
chief of staff, told Congress to-
day there was an urgent neces-
sity" from a military standpoint
for removal of the one-year lin
itation on service of selecteeS,
reserves and National Guards
men.
At the same time, he said that
any belief he had an American ex-
peditionary force in mind was "an
absurdity"
Il am seeking to build an army
to defend the Nation, not another
A. E. F." he said
Testifying before the Senate Mil
itary Affairs Committee. Gen. Mar
shall urged Congress to declare a
national emergency, under which
present prohibitions against longer
service for the three classihcations
Of soldiers could be removed.
The main question. he said, Is
ais there an emergency?' I say
there is and the War Department
says there is. You gentlemen will
have TO settle it
Gen Marshall asserted the Army
had been set back very seriously
in development of essential air IA
cilities in Brazil, citing this as an
example Of the hlnderances often
developed through congressional
limitations.
Wants Elbow Room"
In reply to questions by Senator
Austin, Republican, of Vermont.
Gen. Marshall said he would much
prefer that Congress declare fatty
that the Nation was imperiled, thus
giving the War Department more
elbow room in which to work.
Will Defeat Purpose.
Gen Marshall told the committee
that if Congress did not provide for
retention of selectees and guardsmen
for more than a year. you will de-
feat the purpose for which you have
made huge expenditures" and set the
country back disastrously.
He added:
Each deliberate move We have
made for defense, such as the
passage of the Selective Service Act
and the calling out of the National
Guard. has had profound effect on
! nations possibly hostile to us.
/ If the present proposal to ex-
tend the period of service is de-
feated. it will weaken Americas
prestige abroad most decidedly, and
increase the chances of war for this
! country"
Gen. Marshall said that certain
foreign countries maintain tremen-
dous propaganda services all over
Latin America in an effort TO show
the United States is ineffective and
this country is torn by dissension.
Gen Marshall told the committee
it had been necessary to send
marines to Iceland because there
was no conceivable way to put the
Army there He said the only Army
division that could have been sent
included 400 Reserve officers.
We would have had TO line them
, up and ask them to volunteer" he
/ declared, adding that this would
have been an advertisement that
forces were TO be sent to Iceland.
which would have endangered the
men to an attack.
Also, Gen. Marshall said. he was
1 opposed to lining up military unit
to vote" on the matter of service.
AN army is an army" he de-
clared, mot a political unit"
Denies Contract Violation.
Asked if he believed that extern
/ sion of the Selectees' service period
would violate contract" with these
men that they would not be called
to serve more than a year, Gen.
Marshall denied fatty that this
| would be the case.
He said: Il feel that We would not
have broken promise and that We
would have kept faith with the peo-
| pie of the United States if this
/ plan is carried out"
/ He referred to the proviso in the
Draft Act which says that if Con-
| gress declares situation in which
the interests of the country are inn
periled, the selectess may be re-
tanned in service as long as the
President deems necessary. He also
mentioned testimony he gave at
| hearings on the Draft Act, when he
said .lle favored l8 months as a pc
riod of service. that he would COM
promise on Is months. and that