The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-12-17

January 4, President Roosevelt
has succeeded in setting up g
dictatorship stronger than any
which has ever been dreamed OF
under our democratic form OF
government. Whether he acted
quickly in order to get the jump
on the strong opposition which
he faces in the new congress, OF
whether he simply felt that the
time had come when he must
make full use of the wartime
powers which had been granted
to him, is a question which could
be debated by the hour, but what
ever may be behind the timing
the people in this country, from
now on. will have their lives die
tated by the President and those
to whom he has delegated pow
er. And it is generally agreed
here that these moves were nee
essary for the best interests OF
the country.
The greatest delegation of pow
er has gone to Paul McNutt, who
will have absolute control over
manpower. He will determine
who goes into the armed forces,
what present civilian occupations
are necessary, what men and wo-
men will be assigned to war pro-
duction work and who will be
trained for vital industries.
Just how far Mr.. McNutt will
60 in using his power to deter
mine how each of us earns his
livelihood from now on will de-
pend on the manpower needs, but
there is no doubt that millions of
men, whether they choose to or
not, will be forced to work at an
occupation picked for them by
the Manpower commission.
Although Mr.. McNutt now has
final control over selective SER
vice, there are certain limitations
contained in the Presidents or
der on manpower. For the time
being he is not to draft any man
for the armed forces who is 38
years old, or older: and he is not
to permit enlistments in either
the army or navy of men between
the ages of 18 and 38.
The order ending voluntary en-
listments probably means that no
man in this age group can here
after have any choice in the
branch of the armed forces in
which he will serve and cannot
take part in the war unless his
draft board decides that it is his
turn to go. It also means that
commissions, formerly given pri-
marily to enlisted men, will now
be awarded according to the COM
parative merits of the drafted
men. Possibly, when a man is
wanted by the army or the navy
because of particular skills, a
plan will be worked out by which
he can be called by his draft
board ''by request"
The Manpower commission, in
conjunction with the army. the
navy, the department of agricul-
ture, ETC., will determine whether
a man can best serve his country
by working in a war industry, by
entering the armed forces or by
working on a farm. The COM
mission will have the right to as
sign men of over 38 to any oc-
cupation other than the armed
forces and the men over 38 will
still be able to enlist in the army
and navy if they wish.
One of the best features of the
new control over the Selective
service is that the commission
will have the power to issue
mandatory regulations regarding
what classifications of men will
be taken first for the nation as
a whole, rather than leave the
final decision up to local draft
boards. There has been much
criticism in the past when Gen
eral Hershey, director of the Sc
lective service act, would make
a statement saying that one
group, such as married men with
out children, should not be taken
until all single men in a state
had been drafted, and local
boards would ignore that state
ment. This was caused by the
fact that General Hershey did
not have the power to make such
regulations mandatory.
The next most important dele
cation of wartime power is that
given to Secretary of Agriculture
Claude Wickard in his new role
as food administrator. Under the
THE HOTTSE az