Evening star., 1942-10-18
Congress Chiefs Hope
For Final Action
By End Of Week /
By J. A. O'LEARY.

from 20 to Is passed the House
yesterday, 345 to 16, just five
days after President Roosevelt
recommended it.
The Senate expects to take up the
measure Tuesday and send it to the
White House for signature before
the end of the week.
The House brushed aside several
efforts to modify the bill, which is.
estimated to make approximately
1,500 900 more young men available
for service in the Army. whose goal
has been set as 100000 men by the
end of 1943.
Representative Gossett, Demo-
crat, of Texas led a move to exempt
the 18-year-olds, which failed, 155
to IS.
Representative Fish, Republican,
of New York tried later to lower the
top bracket for military service from
As to 40, but that was shouted down
on a voice vote.
Celler Proposal Sidetracked.
An amendment by Representative
Celler, Democrat, of New York to
enable military authorities to allow
young men 18-month deferments to
complete educational courses in
technical and scientific subjects was
sidetracked on point of order by
Chairman May of the Military
Affairs Committee.
One other attempt to change the
bill was the proposal of Representa-
tive Camp, Democrat, OF Georgia, to
prevent the calling of men who were
few weeks under As on registration
day, but are now approaching 49,
1t was defeated on a voice vote. Mr..
Camp said he offered the amend
ment at the request of Georgia
ofhcials, who reported men nearing
As were called up for service in that
State last week.
The House took the bill up under
special rule, which permi ted only
committee amendments or amend
ments relating to the age limits. The
special rule was adopted early In the
day by standing vote OF 2l2 to AZ.
Adoption of this rule halted the
only serious threat to the bill,
namely move which was under way
to prevent the, Army from using any
of the teen age draftees in foreign
service until they had been in train
ing for one year. After the rule was
adopted that amendment could not
be offered. y~
Letter From Marshall Shown.
Mr. Fish waged losing fight for
an opportunity to offer the manda-
tory one-year training amendment,
but Representative Wadsworth, also
New York Republican and spon-
sor Ct the original draft law, pro-
duced letter he had just received
from Gen. George c. Marshall.
Army chief of staff, opposing the
amendment as unworkable.
In. the Senate the bill faces a
move to tack on as a rider a pro-
posal, which has been pending for
some time, to establish dry zones
around all Army and Naval reser-
vations. Under the more liberal
Senate rules, the scope of amend
ments cannot be defined as narrowly
as In the House.
Senator Lee, Democrat. Of Okla
homa announced he intends to offer
the dry zone amendment and ex-
pressed belief it would pass, pro-
vided a roll call vote can be OBJ
tanned.
There were indications, however,
that Senate leaders would prefer
to pass the new draft law speedily
and take up the question of pro-
hibition areas separately, inasmuch
as there are no major differences
between the House and Senate Mill
tary Affairs Committees on the
lowering Of the selective service
age limits.
Plan Called mild STEP"
| Senator Lee took the position,
however, that his amendment is a
mild STEP in the protection of the
soldiers. Failure to adopt it, he
said, would give advocates of more
comprehensive dry legislation a
strong argument The Oklahoman
argued that lowering the draft age
to 18 makes his amendment more
advisable. I
The House-approved measure
makes it possible for high school OF
college students to request defer
ment until the end of the current
school year. or until July /, 1913
whichever date occurs first. The
(See nRAET pace AIN