The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-15


 cations for enlistment yesterday and 500 today. We expect another in- crease tomorrow"
 Congress in Action
 Washington, Oct. 15.-(UP)-Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, selective service director, said today that if the draft age Is lowered to 18 7,500, ,000-man army can be built up in 1943 without calling, married men with children.
 Hershey appeared before the house military affairs committee in support of the Army's request for immediate reduction of the draft age to IS.
 He said before he testified that he previously had estimated that the induction of married men with children would become necessary in the last quarter of 1943.
 with this bill we can meet the Army'S announced requirements for a force of 7,5O0,000 men without the induction of married men with chil- dren," he said.
 Hershey added that the induction of married men with wives only would begin immediately to fill the Army's call for 100000 men by Jan. l.
 He told the committee that the selective service manpower pool now includes 3,000,000 men deferred for physical. mental or moral disability and 100000 in classes PA and 2B, deferments for agriculture or for essential war work.
 Without the draft of IS and 19 year olds, Hershey said, After Feb. 1 selective service would be required to make the hard choice of taking men out of industry or agriculture or with dependents"
 Hershey estimated that a maxi mum of 1,5OO,000 men can be drawn from the present IS and 19 years old groups. During 1943, he added, 1 100000 more youths will become 18.
 Will Supply Needs
 Since the Army on Jan. 1 will have in excess of 5000, 900 men, and its personnel at tthe end of 1943 is to be only 7,500,000 men, Hershey said, the induction of 18 and 1S- year-old and the men reaching the age of 1S probably will supply the needs.
 His statement appeared to stabil- ize the nations selective service pie ture to the end of 1943.
 Drafting after that will depend on future developments. Gen. George c. Marshall, Army chief of staff, told the house committee yes- terday that manpower requirements after 1943 can be estimated by no one until late next summer.
 The house committee and the sen- ate military affairs committees were working at double speed to complete action@on the 18 and 19 draft legis- lation, They planned to study the educational problems they will ere ate by sending the teen-age youths into the Army.
 Reduction of the draft age to the pre-college level will leave to the army one of the most important economic and social decisions of American civilization-which youths shall enjoy the advantages of a col lege education and thereby become doctors, lawyers, engineers and clergymen of the next generation.
 The House committee was to queS- ton representatives of the office Of education and Maj. Gen. James A. Magee, surgeon general of the army.
 Chairman Andrew J. May, D., Ky, of the House committee and chair man Robert R. Reynolds, D., N. c., of the senate committee hope to have a bill lowering the draft age to 18 without strings attached, on President Roosevelt's desk by next week. That would allow the army to 20 ahead with it's plans to have a young army of 7,500,000 men by the end of 1943.
 May Delay Action
 Both May and Reynolds are try- ing to overcome growing pressure within their committees to delay final action until the overall man. power picture is clarified. The op- position to recommendations made by the President, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and Gen. George C.Marshall. army chief of staff, to allow immediate induction of 18 and 19-year-olds centered on two points:
 i, Allowing the army, in effect, to decide who the college-trained, professional men of the next gen. eration shall be.
 3. Further accentuation of an al- ready critical farm labor situation by inducting into the army youths just out of high school.
 The first witness before the house committee today was Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, selective service director Cat 9 a. m. EWT) He was expected to repeat his statement to the senate committee yesterday that regardless of the induction Of Iis and ie-year -olds the drafting Of married men with dependent wives only will begin within 6 few weeks.
 After hearing Hershey, the house committee was to turn to educa" tional problems.
 Gross examination of Brig. Gen. Miller White, assistant chief of stan or personnel. by the house commit. tee late yesterday developed that