Evening star., 1942-08-28
Students Told
To Be Ready
For Army Call
McNutt Discloses
10-Point Program
Of Special Group

All able bodied male college stu
dents were put on notice today that
they were destined for the armed
forces and warned that the exigen-
cies of the war made it impossible
to assure them they would be per-
mitted to remain in school for any
specified period of time.
The warming came from War
Manpower Commission Chairman
Paul v. McNutt in making public
a 10-point program prepared by the
commissions Special Committee on
Utilization Of Colleges and Univer-
stiles for the Purposes of War.
The program emphasizes that "all
students, men and women, must be
preparing themselves for active and
competent participation in the war
effort and supporting civilian activi-
ties"
No U. S. Subsidy Recommended.
Although financial assistance for
students who need additional train
ing for war is proposed, no Federal
subsidy Of institutions is recon-
mended by the committee which
prepared the program.
The program leaves it to the
Army and Navy to decide the spe-
cific training of the young men des-
tined for the armed forces. The
War Manpower Commission is
charged with developing plans for
the other students, male and female.
The committee report points out
that any plan for student war train
ing must take into consideration
the possibility that the Selective
Service Act may be amended so as
to lower the age of liability for
service" to l8 years. Chairman Sa-
bath of the House Rules Committee
predicted yesterday that in all like
lihood Congress will be asked this
session to permit the drafting of
18 and 10 year olds and will give its
permission"
I'm order to avoid misunder-
standing" the committee report
states, students should recognize
that the exigencies of the war do
not make 1t possible to assure any
student that he. will be permitted
to remain in the institution for any
specified period of time
Details Held Up.
Furthermore. 1t should be recog-
nized that 1t will not be possible
prior to the opening Of the academic
year 1898 to formulate the de-
tails of some Of the plans for the
utilization of institutions nor to
provide for the implementation of
such plans.
College students in the past have
been allowed to finish term if they
had passed the halfway point be-
fore they were scheduled for induc-
ton and District Selective Service
Director William E. Leahy indicated
recently that local boards would con-
tinue to follow that policy.
The report also calls for provisions
for securing the complete physical
fitness of students.
The principal resources of col
ieges and universities for war pur-
poses" the committee report con-
tinues. "are their trained faculties
and their physical facilities. The
use of these resources will be de-
termined by and should be adopted
to the military needs of the Nation.
All branches of the armed services
are now using certain of the re-
sources of the colleges and univers-
tiles with the active cooperation of
the institutions. The nature and
the extent of this use must necessar-
lily depend upon the need therefor
In the conduct of the war"
Committees representing the spe-
cial interests of higher education
will be appointed by DR.. Edward C.
Elliott, president of Purdue Univers-
ity and director of the War Man
power Commissions Professional and
Technical Personnel Division, which
will function as the central agency
for advising Government agencies
and educational institutions on the
use of the facilities and the adjust
ment of their programs for war par
ticipation.