The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-08-04

to him Pros
pective doughboys, however, get
pointed reminders from selective
headquarters And, whether they
like it or not. into uniform they
go, provided they can't give a good
legal excuse for exemption or d.
ferment. J
Army service is not optional
with an eligible youngster as
naval service is.
If it were put up to me to take
my pick between the two, I'd vote
for the navy every time. / always
have had a cracking enjoyable ex-
perience when I've been ahoat. It's
true, my voyages invariably have
been as a passenger. Possibly a
foremost hands lot isn't so pleas
ant. Still. even a COB gets around
and sees the world. It's a life that
has variety and color A sailor
isn't penalized. like a doughboy,
every time he hollers yoo-hoo.
It's suggested that one reason
for a dissemination TO volunteer for
man-o'-war activity is the general
belief that such fighting as Uncle
Sans scrappers may get into
promises to be mainly on the ocean
rather than on land.
Youths Disregard Danger
Personally, / don't think that
the average enlistable kid is par
ticularly concerned as to his
chances Of being perforated in ac-
ton. It's a consideration that
doubtless weighs with a lot Of
papas and namnas, though. May
be it's worth reminding them that
more than twice as many Ameri-
cans have been killed by civilian
automobiles, while the current
wars been going on, as the Brit
ish have lost in sailors during the
same period.
An enlisted gob's traditional
term of service is SIX years. a
pretty long pull in comparison
with a landsman se-ectee's- how.
aver much the latter's may be. ex-
tended by the national emergency.
It's likely that that's a bit Of a
handicap to the navy. A blue
jackets training requires more
time than a doughboy's. Still,
six-year stretch is enough to make
a candidate think twice, multiplied
by several from the standpoint Of
MS loving pa and ma.
Selections into the army have,
necessarily, greatly reduced the
country's aggregation Of civilian
workers, particularly farm hands.
So, II pa happens to be a farmer,
he's extremely apt to be very in
sistent upon having his just
maturing son stay home and help
him behind the pillow and attend
ing to the livestock.
Pa can't prevent the lad from
being selected. for selections COM
pulsory. unless postponed by the
familys local draft board. The
local boards, 10 be sure, have had
orders from headquarters to be as
liberal as possible with deferments
in hardship cases.
Needn't Join Navy
In the last analysis, however.
the boy has to 60 his own and his
old mans objections notwithstand-
ing But the youth doesn't have
to enlist in the navy, and, II father
kicks and his offspring's dutiful,
he stays on the farm.
SO that, presumably, Is what's
the matter with the navy.
The navy, by the way. is cook
ing up a censorship on cables and
radio communications, outgoing
from the United States.
It'll require congressional au-
thorization. but Rear Admiral Ben
Morrell has the matter up, on
Capitol Hill. The army will only
be interested If we begin sending
land forces overseas. but the
navy's overseas already.
The proposed censorship won't
have anything to do with what we
print or broadcast by wireless here
at home. but it wants to be fixed