Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-03

CaplJOl n III a DaVo LaWfehce'
recognition of the possibilities of
campaign misrepresentation which
can have a damaging effect on the
political opportunities of this or
that candidate.
Thus the controversy over the
sending of the 10 to 20 year old boys
into the Army has had a political
background. The War Department
wanted this legislation long ago, and
1t was being said that the Executive
wished to wait till after the congress
sional elections. Such a view was
refuted by the Presidents recent re-
quest that Congress act promptly.
It turned out that members of
Congress were the hesitant ones.
In fact, they amended the legisla-
ton in the Senate so as to restrict
the use of the 10 to 20 year old
selectees. The purpose was to curry
favor with the parents of the boys
by endeavoring to give the impress
sion that 1t would be year or more
before they would be sent overseas.
Army Sees Handicap.
1t develops, however, that the War
Department is much disturbed by
the proposed amendment. High
officers are quite Indignant about it,
and they say that it is hard enough
to be compelled to deal with handi-
caps placed on us by the Japanese
and the Germans without meeting
also the restrictions imposed by
Congress that directly interfere with
the efficiency of the Army.
Armyq men point out that it is
wholly impracticable to train sep
arate divisions with the 10 to 20
year Odds in them, and that once
a division needs to be filled up to
proper strength, the Army cannot
put aside those of certain age and
try to fill UP the ranks with certain
others. This is not the way the
Army has been organized or the
camps and the Army training
system arranged
The feeling in the War Depart
ment that the whole war effort will
be impeded is so strong that, if the
senate amendment is retained in
the bill, these officials would pre-
fer to have the measure vetoed in
its entirety rather than try to make
the Army function with two sets of
observation-disclosures who can be used
and those who must be held from
a year to "a months before they
can be put into regiments Or divi-
sions.
In other words, the War Depart
ment considers that in restricting
the use of the ID to 20 year olds,
the Congress would be virtually
denying the request that the draft
limits be lowered.
The bill, of course, is in conference
now between the two houses and,
because House leaders assured the
members that they would not be
asked to come to Washington to act
on any legislation until after cleo
ton, the Conference Committee
meetings have been delayed.
-. Showdown Due Now.
Now that the elections are out of
the way. a showdown on the legis-
lation will be forthcoming. 1t seems
probable that both Houses will agree
to the removal of the restrictions
because members will not wish to be
put in the position of impairing the
efficient expansion of the United
States Army.
When the election is over, the vote
of particular member on a ticklish
issue like this cannot be twisted to
cause him a loss of support from
groups in the constituency. This is
one reason why postponement was
urged-not because if the matter
had been pressed, many members
would not have gone along with the
War Departments request, but be-
cause many members felt that the
issue could just as we'll wait till
after the election to be disposed of
on its merits.
There is expected to be general
tightening Of the war effort now
that the congressional elections have
been held. Politics will not be al
together taboo. because members of
both Houses know that elections
come rather quickly and that the
1914 election especially, which is
scheduled next, will be even more
important to the two major parties
than the off-year election which
has just taken place.
The preparations of the United
States for war suffered distinctly
during the 1910 campaign, but the
delays on account of the congress
SIGNAL campaign of 1912 have not
been as many or as damaging.
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