Evening star., 1941-05-13

| oOay Initial u dlii1ilS dllu otIFlCS.
There is one phase of the opera
ton of the draft act which needs
remedy and should be remedied at
once. The act very wisely sets up a
definite line of jurisdiction between
those persons who are civilians and
those persons who are indicted into
the Army. Two groups of officials
preside over these jurisdictions and
each draftee must be passed by these
| two groups of officers. In each case
medical examination is given, but
sometimes the doctors do not agree
and in this disagreement between
doctors, grave injustice is done. We
all remember in the World War how
men tried to enlist but were turned
down because of some physical de-
feet and then were drafted and
found all right. This resulted in
loss both to the Nation, for several
months, of the services of an indi-
vidual, and loss to the individual
of chance for advancement. There
are cases where men have been
called up. They have been given
fareWells, as it were, by their friends,
they have resigned their positions,
have been passed by the draft doctor
and, in some cases, they have even
given away some of their civilian
clothing. Then they were disquali-
fed by the Army examining physi-
clan and subsequently returned to
civilian life, with its obvious embar-
rasSments and difficult readjust-
ments. The problem, then, is bring
ing the two groups of doctors to-
gether, and the administration
should see that this is done at once
so that the embarrassments which
have occurred will not be repeated.
One reason for the Selective Service
Act is to overSome these various in
justices. They can be oversome by
simple decision to allow a rule of
reason to control.
Jobs Assured on Return.
The Selective Service Act contains
section which I sponsored that the
Federal Government first had to
guarantee men who are called from
their work their jobs when they
come back. This to me is very i'm
portant. Not only do l want the
mems jobs guaranteed but the rea-
son for the act was to put both the
employer and employe in harmony
with its spirit, both realizing the
educational good that would come
from the years training and thus
causing the employer to want his
men to get this training and caus-
ing the employe to want the train
ing, knowing that his job for his
future industrial welfare Is not to
be jeopardized.
The Selective Service Training
Act has now been in operation ap-
proximately eight months. During
this period we have seen many thou
sands of young men inducted in the
Army. These men have come from
all walks of life, selected in . thor
oughly democratic process. They
are being trained in accordance with
the theory as outlined in the basic
program.
I warrant that if it were possible
to interview each one of these
trainees and ask him whether he
thinks that he is being properly
trained and is learning things which
will be of great benefit to him in the
future, an overwhelming majority
of them would answer in the affirm
ative.
Now, I want to hasten to add, If
this training Is so beneficial, why
deprive any person Of it by discrimi-
mating one type of person against
| another, all other facts being equal.
Some complain that many are being
selected and indicted who should
be deferred, for various reasons. I
will confess that cases such as this
have occurred. But these are few
and far between. We have the same
thing happen with every law,
though. We have even had people
sentenced to death and long impris-
onment wrongly, through a mis-
carriage of justice, but would you
repeal or amend that law simply
because of that? The problem,
then, rests in the local administra-
ton of the law, rather than in the
changing of the law itself. The
local board, if it performs its duties
honestly and judiciously, will do
credit both to itself and the COM
munity. The boards are composed
of highly respected, honest and in
telligent private citizens, and they
are worthy of every confidence.
Let us, then, give this law fair
opportunity to operate so that we
may have the benefit of an ample
background of experience with
which, If need should later arise, we
can intelligently consider proposals
for amending it.