Evening star., 1942-08-03
Government May Droft
Everybody for War
Writer Tells How Britoin
Hos CoIIed Whole Community
To National Service in Crisis
BU Bertran1 Benedict.

By Bertrdm Benedict.
The total manpower of the Nation
would be mobilized for the war effort in
a bill now being prepared by the ad-
ministration. according to recent news
reports. Every available person, man or
woman, would be assigned task in
which he or she seemed able to help
most. although for all women and for
men over As the assignment might be
placed on a voluntary basis at least at
first.
The Draft Extension Act of December
20, 194l, applies only to males. Those of
20 up to As are subject to military serv-
ice; all of Is up to IS are subject to
registration. The men of 1856 regis
tered on April q, and declared their
training and skills. The boys of 18 and
10 registered on June 80 last Presum-
ably II women between specific ages
should be covered by any new mobiliza-
ton legislation, they will be given the
same status as the males of As to 65
In Great Britain single women be-
tween 20 and 80 were specifically made
subject, on December 2, 1941, to service
in the armed forces. Only those who
volunteer for combatant service actually
serve with guns. The Emergency Powers
Acts of August "a, 1899, and May %,
1910 tthe latter during the German
sweep into the Low Countries, already
had given the British government gen.
eral powers to require all persons to place
their persons, services and property at
the disposal of the nation. Recently all
British women between 10 and Al were
required to register for such war work
as might be suggested to them.
In Great Britain the government may
direct any person to perform any work
for which he is found capable. Certain
industries are listed as essential to the
war effort, and the list is being con-
stantly extended. In such industries
workers cannot leave their jobs without
permission, and may be required to per-
form duties assigned them. If absent
from work without reasonable excuse,
they may be ordered to report to a ma
tional service official and to follow his
directions. Minimum wages are pre-
scribed.
Employers in certain industries are
strictly regulated on hiring or rehiring
workers, and on advertising for workers,
In the essential industries employers
have no general right to discharge en-
ployes, and hiring of workers only
through specific channels has been Or
dered. Any plant may be told what
kind OF activity 1t must perform.
Strikes and lockouts are practically
forbidden, and collective bargaining is
required. The government has power to
control wages, but has not forbidden
pay increases, nor attempts by the work.
ers to obtain increases. In fact. manv
wage scales have been raised to allow.
at least in part, for increases in living
costs. Part-time civilian defense work
IN Great Britain has been required of
many persons not engaged In the direct
war EFFORT nor in essential industry.
IN the United States the problem of
civilian manpower has become more
acute as more and more men have been
taken into the armed forces, and as the
unemployment due to shifts in nature of
production has receded. In 19l7-18 a
general shortage of industrial manpower
developed about one year after the dec
Iaratlon OF war, especially in shipbuiding
and agriculture; 1t became more acute in
the following months. One step taken
IN alienation was to ask all EMPLOYERS.
on voluntary basis, to recruit new labor
only through the United States Employ-
ment Service. The draft was utilized to
end idleness and to induce men to trans
fer from non-essential to essential occu-
pations
Several bills were introduced in Con-
gress for labor conscription, but were not
taken seriously. President Wilson wrote
to private correspondent on October 4,
1918, that drafting men for farm labor
was hardly consistent with our ideals of
the utter freedom OF labor" Some
months previously, Secretary of Labor
William B. Wilson had told Congress
that If labor were to be drafted, 1t should
not be for private employers, but that
the Government should then take over
and operate the plants involved. BY the
end Of the war plans had been perfected
to defer men In the draft ages Us-45)
only II they were in, or transferred to-
essential war activity and remained or
the Job.