Evening star., 1941-06-24

oSeU SNeNs
independently wealthy or able be.
yond doubt to support herself. Ir
other cases the registrants had suf.
flcient unearned income to support
their dependents in a reasonable
manner. Some of these cases have
created special problems due to the
necessity of selecting individual.
who have dependent children in ad-
dition to their wives. However, the
law specifically prohibits those who
are maintained by income which is
unearned from being rated as de-
pendents.
Defense Workers Deferred.
The basic function of selective
service is to procure men for the
land and naval forces of the United
States. 1t Is also the duty of Sc
lective service to procure these men
without disturbing unnecessarily
the production of arms and NUM-
tions, the growing of food and the
doing of many other things that are
essential to the national health and
safety-and interest. For this
reason. the, selective service system
has provided for the deferment OF
those who are necessary in the many
activities connected with defense
and the maintenance of our national
life.
The purpose of selective service is
to make man available for service
in the place where he can do the
greatest good for the Nation. Ir
the application of these genera
rules and regulations the initia
decision has been placed in the
hands of those who live near the
individuals in question. Every effort
has been made to insure personal.
| lied individualized administration
| OF the selective service system
There is and undoubtedly will con.
tinue to be growing demand fol
individuals to work in industry anc
to grow food on the farm. Not only
must the men who are engaged ir
these activities be deferred, but 1t /.
most necessary that others who arr
now engaged in training and prepa.
ration for their place in the produc.
ton line or on the farm shoulc
also be deferred so that the supply
OF skilled workers whether it be ir
agriculture or in industry will bt
ample. AS I said before, the de.
cision is made initially by the loca
board subject to appeal by tht
registrant or other interested partie.
to the appeal board. In this par.
tlcular We are in the process ol
an educational program. an educa.
tional program which will take time
The American people have MOI
yet come to believe that an indi.
vidual in times of stress can serve
his country as well at some Other
task as he can in the land or nava
forces. This is the result of Ions
custom. 1t Is the result of day.
when warfare was quite different il
its nature than it is today.
Public Sentiment Vital.
This fundamental and basic fac
presents problem of education tt
the selective service system. Mo-
only is it necessary to bring to the
attention of 10000 members of oul
local boards the critical need fol-
skilled labor in the fabrication OF
arms and munitions and in the
production of food, but it is equally
important to bring this fact to thu
attention of 130,000,0O0 people be.
cause it is quite futile for our loca
boards to attempt to properly judge
the necessity of keeping a registrant
in industry or agriculture if in the
main these local boards are not sup.
ported by the public sentiment oi
the communities in which they
operate. 1t is our hope and belief
that in time our people will under.
stand. the necessity for each man tt
do that task for which he is best
fitted provided that task aids in de.
Tending America. When that time
is reached, we can then be certain
that registrants will, in their ques.
tionnaires, set out in no small de.
tail their occupational status anc
that employers will certify to the
local boards the tasks for which
their companies are engaged ano
the special need for the individual.
for whom deferment is asked.
If in the initial decision the loca,
board does not see the problem as
1t is seen by the registrant anc
employer, then the registrant ano
employer must not hesitate to brine
the facts justifying the claim to the
attention of the appeal board-sc
that further consideration may bt
given to the decision as to where
best the registrant may serve in the
defense of America. This applies
not only to those who make muni-
tions, trucks, planes and ships, but
1t applies as well to those who are
now in training and preparation-te
take their places in industry, where
their services are badly needed ano
where shortages in labor now exist
This also applies to those who pro-
duce food. 1t is so difficult to bring
to the attention of our whole people
the fact that the farmer or the boy
on the farm is in fact skilled
worker. He is an individual who
through periods of his life has
learned many things about the op-
Grafton of a farm and the produc-
ton of food. 1t is almost impossible
to replace necessary men in thi,
field. 1t is just as difficult as 1t i.
to replace trained workers in in.
dustry. The training period i.
longer and the conditions under
which the man on the farm works
do not appeal to the individual whe