Evening star., 1943-01-21
Bankhead Asks
Limit on Army,
Stress on Output
Would Have Allies
Supply Men to Avoid
Transport Perils
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Senator Bankhead, Democrat,
of Alabama proposed today that
the United States concentrate on
production of food and weapons
and call on the other United Ma
tions to furnish any additional
fighting men needed to win the
war.
Declaring that some 10000 900
physically fit Americans already
have entered the service and that
present plans call for the monthly
addition of 100000 more, Senator
Bankhead told the Senate:
I'm view of the absolute necessity
Of at least continuing and, if pos
sible. increasing the production of
war materials and instruments and
implements, it is apparent that it
will be dangerous to withdraw from
war production many more men for
service in the armed forces"
Senator Bankhead said it seemed
to him that the most practical So
luton 'is to continue in position to
serve ourselves and our Allies as an
arsenal for the production and sup
ply of food and instruments of war,
and call on our Allies to furnish the
additional manpower necessary to
constitute any sized army that may
be used to our advantage"
He said the time had come for
Congress ito reappraise the entire
manpower program with special ref
erence to fixing the maximum num-
ber to be inducted into the Army"
and to that end offered resolution
calling for hearings on the problem
by the Senate Appropriations Com
mittee, of which he is member,
The soldiers who are supplied by
Russia and China are in immediate
contact with our enemies" he said.
The soldiers supplied by Great
Britain and her dominions are in
large measure in the same situation
Perils in Long Transport.
Soldiers to be furnished by the
United States, If sent across the
Atlantic Ocean, must travel a dis
tdIlIG VA lllOAC DsOBb klt2tCD 04i0
be confronted with the hazards of
the German and Italian flotilla of
submarines and airplanes Our SOL
diers who are sent across the Pacific
must travel six or seven thousand
miles and encounter the dangers of
destruction from the fleet, subma-
rines and airplanes of the japanese.
I'm addition to the transportation
of our soldiers such long distances,
Of every kind being used in the war,
including rifles, machine guns, anti
aircraft guns, cannon and tanks.
We must also send food and cloth
ing to supply their requirements.
"a large number of ships will be
needed for conveying and convoy
ing the soldiers as well as the sup
plies
OF all the countries in the world,
he asserted, China and Russia are
in the best position to furnish men,
while this Nation is in the best
position to furnish equipment. He
estimated that China alone could
raise a 25,000, ,00o-man army.
"Unanswerable Logic"
''Why should we not accept these
undisputed facts and apply to them
the rule of sound reason and un-
snswerable logic?" he asked.
Like other farm State Senators
Senator Bankhead is concerned
about keeping enough men on the
farms to produce needed food.
''It is now evident" he said, that
during 1943, even with weather con-
ditions above normal, rationing of
foods will be extended to the point
that the average standard of living
may be substantially reduced, and
still the reductions in the number
of farm workers continues, thereby
increasing the number in our armed
forces and in our war production
workers"
Senator Bankhead cited estimates
that from IL to II civilians are need
ed for every man in service, and said
that If Is are required I'VE could
not support an armed force in ex-
cess of 5000 ,000~
Present estimates are that the
armed forces will total 100000 by
the end of this year.