Evening star., 1941-08-04
Wheeler Sees Move
1oAsk Use Of Army
Beyond Hemisphere
Promises FiIibuster;
Walsh Says Proposal
Is Merely Postponed
BACKGROUND

SSJS s'SHSSSs
Is Merely Postponed
BACKGROUND
administration move to hare
selectees, ReserpistS and National
Gnnrdsmen retained in Army be-
yond single year requires
amendment OF SelectiDe Service
Act or congressional declaration
OF national emergency. Presi-
dent Roosevelt has said such ac-
tion Is needed to preUent COM
plete dtsintegration" OF the Army
and Gen. George C. Marshall,
Army Chief of Stat. recently told
Congress there is urgent neces-
sity" tor remoDal of one-year
limitation. Extension opposed
by numerous members of Con-
oress on grounds it Mould be
breaking contract NTH men
nshered into military life under
one-yeGr limitation.
By the Associated Press.
Senator Wheeler, Democrat, Of
Montana charged today that the
Army was waiting for the pending
service extension bill to pass so that
1t could offer legislation authorizing
the use of selectees and Guardsmen
outside of the Western Hemisphere.
The Montanan, long a foe of
administration foreign policy, said
he was agreeable to prompt vote
on the extension bill, but he promised
an energetic opposition filibuSter
against any subsequent proposal for
use of the men beyond hemisphere
confines
In raising the hemisphere issue
as the Senate opened its fourth day
of debate on the service bill, Senator
Wheeler sided with Chairman Walsh
of the Senate Naval Affairs Com
mittee, who also contended that the
Army had such plans.
Senators Wheeler and Walsh were
challenged by Senator Hill of Ala
bama, the Democratic whip, who in
formed reporters that, to his knowl-
edge, the Army was contemplating
no such request to Congress.
Seek to Quiet Opposition.
Senator Walsh, in a statement
Yesterday. asserted that Congress
did not know whether the Army was
being created for defense or for
aggression. He said further that the
high command wished to lift the
existing hemisphere restriction and
that. "the omission of this request
from the pending resolution does
not mean that the idea has been
abandoned"
Senator Walsh declared that this
proposal has merely been postponed
to quiet opposition" against the
pending legislation.
The bill, as drafted, would en-
power the President to extend in
definitely the service of regular en-
listed men, selectees, Reservists and
National Guardsmen until such time
as Congress terminates that author
ity. Last week, however, a majority
of the Senate Military Affairs Com
mittee agreed to have the legislation
provide that no man would be held
longer than 18 months beyond his
original service period.
Sees Nothing to Gain.
This 18-month proposal failed to
ind any favor with Senator Wheeler
or fellow foes Of the bill, and
Senator Wheeler announced today
that the opposition forces would
fight any extension longer than six
months. Senator Taft, Republican,
n Ohio already has backed such a
shorter time limit.
Outside OF making q fight for the
shorter limit, Senator Wheeler lnd1-
Gated he had little hope Of forcing
any other changes in the extension
bill, remarking that nothing could
Be gained by making a long tight.
Taking up the hemisphere ques-
ton, he had this to say to news
men:
ct understand that as soon as
this bill is out of the way leglsla-
ton will be introduced to send the
men outside this hemisphere. When
that happens I shall fight IN every
vay possible. We (the opposltlon
would be willing to debate the pro-
poeal for an unlimited length OF
time"
Charges False Pretenses.
In his statement, Senator Walsh
en,tended that "the Selective Serv-
ice Act was put through Congress
under false pretenses that are now
unmasked. 1t was represented as
bill giving military training for a
l2-month period to a large number
OF civilians and thereby in the
course of time creating a large body
Of civilian reserves.
Now it is believed to be meas
ure for maintaining for an indefinite
period a large standing draft army
Of indefinite numbers and with no
distinction between the services OF
the conscript civilian soldiers and
the Regular Army volunteers.
"It turns out to be q lottery,
where one man out of a hundred Is
taken from his home and family
and put into uniform and
camp for conversion into a profess
gional soldier for service, perhaps IN
q foreign land, not for a few
months, but for years to come"
Senator Walsh said he stood
ready, however, Ito agree to a short
NOT more than q few specified
months of the service
period"
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