Evening star., 1943-03-10
Revercomb Urges
Blanket Deferment
OF Farm Workers
Major Disaster Seen
If Crops Are Short;
Senote May Vote Today
BY the Associated Press,

II NIoPS ARE SnOIl,
Senate May Vote Today
BY the Associated Press
Declaring that a crop shortage
this year might bring disaster"
Senator Revercomb, Republican,
of West Virginia urged the Sem
ate today to vote for blanket de-
ferment of all farm workers.
Conceding that enactment of such
a law would be only stopgap until
an overall decision on the use of
the Nations manpoWer is reached,
he pointed out that crops grow in
seasons not to suit the convenience
OF Congress. and "the time for
planting is at hand"
Action must be taken at once
on this subject or it must be for
gotten for 1943," he declared in a
speech before the Senate.
"A crop shortage in 1943, with the
immense feeding program that we
have undertaken, would place us
in dangerous position. 1t might
bring disaster. Men with empty
stomachs cannot fight, and q hun
CRY people cannot be a strong
people
Smaller Crop Yield Seen.
Senator Revercomb, who is serv-
ing his firm term, said a deferment
bill reported favorably by the Mill
tary Affairs Committee would at
tain what he termed its prime pur-
pose-to keep American men on the
farms to raise food for the armed
forces and the civilians. 1t would
not bring back men who had left
the farms. he said "but it would
prevent further drains on the agri-
cultural labor supply"
He declared 1t Is an "undeniable
fact" that less is going to be plant
ed and harvested this year than in
1912 In the face of greater needs.
Senator Revercomb criticized an
amendment offered by Senator
O'Mahoney, Democrat, of Wyoming
as likely to be ineffective, because
1t calls for exemption of essential"
farmers. He said Congress would
have to state its decision more di-
rectly than that to prevent the ad-
ministrators of the Selective Serv-
ice Act from making their own
definition of who was essential"
Vote May Come Tonight.
AS final argument, the West
Virginian said that if American
farmers are taken from their farms
you have created situation that
will permit those who want the bars
of immigration let down to say to
this country that has become neces-
sary to bring in the foreign worker"
Il shall oppose with all the power
may ever have" he said, "the
opening up of the gates of this
country to the foreign worker"
AS the Senate moved toward
vote, possibly by nightfall, on leg
islation to keep agricultural work.
ers on the farm and halt their in
duction. approval of one of three
proposals appeared likely:
One measure, sponsored by Sen
ator Bankhead, Democrat, of Ala
bama as substitute for his own bill
which the Military Affairs Commit
tee revised, would authorize defer
ment only to farm help engaged
substantially full time" in produc-
ing products listed as essential by
the Secretary of Agriculture.
The OMahoney measure and the
hi
deferment to all farm labor.
AS Senator Wheeler, Democrat, of
Montana announced determination
to attach his father -deferment rider
to the Bankhead measure, Senator
Maloney, Democrat of Connecticut
told the Senate yesterday that the
War Manpower Commission had
demonstrated "the ineptitude of
bureaucracy gone hog Wild in an
nouncing that family men between
l8 and 38 face induction.
Doubts Need for Father Draft.
Senator Maloney urged Congress
to survey operations of selective
service and expressed doubt of any
necessity of promiscuously drafting
the heads of families in order to win
the war"
Opening debate yesterday on bills
to defer farm workers, Senator
Johnson, Democrat, of Colorado de-
clared that unless immediate action
Is taken I'VE will face famine In this
country"
Senator Johnson supported the re-
vlsed version Of the Bankhead bill.
Opposing the OMahoney bill,
Senator Johnson protested that it
involves a complicated mathemat-
ical formula"
Senator O'Mahoney. however, con-
tended that some standards must be
specified.
While approving the purpose of
the Bankhead substitute, Senator
Vandenberg, Republican, of Mich
igan said he was opposed to occu-
patton deferment by class legisla-
ton"
only Way to Make 1t Work"
THAT is the only way to make it
mandatory" replied Senator John
son.
Senator Gillette, Democrat, of
Iowa remarked that Congress, in
passing selective service legislation,
deferred about 25 classes
And one of those classes" he
added, SIS the Congress of the United
States"
Although declaring his intention