Evening star., 1942-08-27

Seen by SABBATH
Before Year End
House Leader Says
Call to Family Men
Only Alternative

Only Alternative
Congressional action on draft
legislation to make 18 and 19-year-
old youths eligible for military serv-
ice can be expected before the end
of the year, Chairman SABBATH of the
House Rules Committee indicated
yesterday.
I'm all likelihood" Mr.. SABBATH told
Congress will be asked
this session to permit the drafting
of 18 and 19-year.olds and wilt give
its approval"
He added that in his opinion the
1919 group, which includes more
than 100000 men, contains the
finest fighting material available" +"
Family Men Alternative.
In considering lowering the
minimum age limit. Congress will be
forced to face squarely the choice
between drafting family men or teen
age boys. That this choice would
eventually be necessary was in
dicated months ago when Congress
passed the family allowance law, in
the course Of which 1t went on record
in favor OF maintaining family rela-
tionships as long as possible.
Meantime, another Capitol Hill
spokesman, Chairman Reynolds of
the Senate Military Affairs Com
mittee, yesterday called for a def
mite determination of who must
work and who must fight.
A repercussion of Selective Ser
vice Director Lewis B. Hershey's re-
cent statement that vital workers
must soon go into the service, SEN
ator Reynolds demand was for an
end to public confusion"
Calls for End of Confusion.
We've got to eliminate the con-
fusion" Senator Reynolds declared
Nobody knows what to expect
whether they are going to be
drafted or not"
LAG Su88CSOLu Llldt SClCCbAtC SCI
ice and the Manpower Commission
get together to see If they have
sufficient powers to work out def.
mite plan to apportion men between
the armed services and war indus.
tries, "and if they haven't tn.
powers they need, then they shoule
come to Congress with recommen'
dations for new authority. Thi
should be done Immediately to re-
move the public confusion"
We've got to have some rules a.
to who is going into the Army ane
Navy and who is going to do thl
war work." he declared. =.
Studies Indicated.
President Roosevelt has indicated
that studies are now being made +,
work out ways and means of assign
ing men to the jobs for which the.
are best suited. The proposed man
power mobilization legislation /
making progress" in the Manpowe
Commission, of which Gen. Hershe,
is member.
Gen. Hershey. speaking at Evans
ton, ILL.,, last Friday, said
THE number of able bodied mel
in industry must be drastically re
duced In the very near future. In
dustry must replace so-called vita
men otherwise eligible for the draf
with women and older men.
From here on, when the Army need
the man, there will be no waitin
until he is replaced"
This followed by only two month
a directive issued by Manpowe
Chief Paul w McNutt to Gen. Her
shey asking that action be taken I
assure that, ito the extent require
for the maintenance of essentis
activities, individuals who are en-
gagged in essential occupations l
essential activities are temporaril
deferred"
Moreover, Mr.. McNutt asked ths
men with essential skills employed 9
unessential work be given a chane
to find jobs in vital war industrit
before being called for induction
the Army.
Inconsistencies" Denied.
A selective service spokesman en-
phasiZed today that Mr.. McNutt
directive said such workers shoul
be deferred temporarily" and
never was intended that such defel
ments be indefinite or permanent
Occupational deferments have bee
made for periods of not more tha
six months. .
A Manpower Commission officis
who declined to be quoted by nam
said that SO far there had been I
inconsistencies" between selecti'
service and the Manpower Commi
sion, and that Gen. Hershey hs
been very cooperative" with NJ
McNutt. .. ........
Senator Reynolds said he had l
criticism of either Gen. Hershey
!, Mr.. McNutt: that both needed me
one for the fighting forces and tt
other for the war production lint
:. He emphasized that he was callil
! ! only for them to get together al
: : work out plan whereby men nj
y y in war industries may know wheth
|. they will remain at the work bench
or will be called In the draft.
# Contagious Cases Fewer
RICHMOND. Va Aup. 27 Yao1