Evening star., 1942-10-25
Gen. Hershey0pposes
Compulsory Measures
In Manpower Problem
Senate Committee Will
Resume Hearings on Four
Bills Tomorrow
BY JESSE q. IRWIN

BY JESSE o. IRWIN.
MAJ. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey ha.
informed Congress he is opposed
TO any compulsory labor mo.
pllization legislation for thu
present.
The selective service director,
statement was revealed as the Sen.
ate Military Affairs Commits ~
planned to resume hearings tomor.
row on four manpower control bills
tnree OF which would place admin.
istrative supervision directly unde,
the selective service system.
Gen. Hershey's views are contra.
dictory to those expressed before the
military affairs committee last Wed.
nesday by Paul v. McNutt, chairman
OF the War Manpower Commission
Mr.. McNutt held that any solution
OF the manpower problem must be
oased primarily on the willingness
OF people to accept direction and
discipline and that, because volun-
tary methods had no. succeeded
legislative control is imperative.
In giving his opinion to the House
special Migration Commi tee e.
headed by Representative Tolan
Democrat, of California, Gen. Her
shey said that as member of the
manpower commission he had been
IN "on great many of these discus
slons' concerning compulsory meas
ures, but Il have never been con-
vlnced that national service law
was Indicated"
Says Agencies Work Together.
Mr.. McNutt informed the Senate
committee that close integration
OF manpower and production policy
is prerequisite to the sound solution
OF manpower problems. He explained
that the War Production Board and
MS commission were working to-
gether toward the common obiec-
tive OF maximum war production"
Inc selective service director in
formed the House group, in answer
TO question whether the WPB or
the VINO was integrating or devel-
op-ng a program for the ALLEGATION
OF manpoWer, that I'VE have an
agency that represents the users and
procufers OF manpower," but IF YOU
are going to ask me if l visualize that
they have accomplished all those
things 1 can quickly say no."
Il do not know" he added
whether it is humanity possible to
do so, but the fact is We have not
integrated-we have not decided our
overall picture the way I, perhaps.
hoped We would. There are many
changes that have taken place, but
you got to start with something be-
lore you can change it."
Replying to another question that
IF the WPB controls the material
budget and the VINO controls the
manpower budget, and both are es-
sential to production, who is going
to control the production planning?"
Gen. Hershey said:
We'll, I suppose when you get
down to the last analysis. when CO.
operation between the WPB and the
VINO is stopped. you are going to
have to have a decision. and the
President il the one person who can
give that decision"
Agree on One Remedy.
Gen. Hershey and Mr.. McNutt
are in agreement on one remedy to
bring about manpover sterilization
the closing down of voluntary en-
listments.
Il do not believe that you should
have recruiting anywhere" Gen.
Hershey declared, adding:
Il do not think the individual
should be obligated to decide when
he does what he must do for his
country. I think he is entitled to
have that decided for him"
Mr.. McNutt told the Senate Mill
tary Affairs Committee that the
flow Of manpower into the armed
forces through voluntary enlist
ments prevents advanced planning
for replacement of men and defeats
any plan for rationing skilled men
between the armed forces and
civilian employment"
Unable to set a decision on this
subject from the Army and Navy.
Gen. Hershey ard Mr.. McNutt are
reported to have requested Presi-
Gent Roosevelt. as the selective
service chief pits it, to close the
valves of half a dozen running
splgots." Such change, Mr.. Nc
Mutt contends, would necessitete the
establishment of procedure whereby
the armed forces could obtain re-
quired skilled men through spe-
cial calls.
StliHSUH VIII lcSt1IS.
The chief witness at tomorrow
session of the Military Affairs Com
mittee will be Secretary of War
Stimson, and, if the committee men,
bers follow the same line of ques-
tioning as they did when Mr.. McNutt
appeared, the cabinet officer will
probably be asked his views on re-
cruiting.
Meantime, the Manpower Com
missions anagerlent-Labor Policy
Committee has taken a recess over
the week end in its delibera tions on
the draft Of the administration
war service bill, which Mr.. McNutt
said he was confident would be
completed within two weeks.
The President is said to have
requested the War Manpower Com
mission to draft measure, but be-
fore submitting 1t to him it should
have the approval OF management
and labor. Members of the Policy
Committee said yesterday that they
had agreed there was no necessity