Evening star., 1943-03-13
BarkIey, Hill Defend
Ginsburg, Attacked
As a Draft Evader
Senators Soy OPA Aide
Never Asked Deferment
Or Sought Army Rank

David Ginsburg. 30-year-old OPA
general counsel, yesterday was de-
tended on Capitol Hill, where "a
hours earlier he had been attacked
as commission seeking draft
dodger.
Senator Hill, Democrat. OF Ala
bama told the Senate that Mr.. Gins
burg never asked deferment from
the draft and Democratic Leader
Barkley Of Kentucky said that the
commission as lieutenant or cap
tain had not been sought by Gins
burg.
Il am informed" said Senator
Barkley. that it was initiated by a
high officer in the War Department
who desired to utilize Mr.. Gins
burgs services and went to him to
suggest the possibility of having him
appointed captain in the Army OF
the United States"
Hill Sought Out Facts.
Senator Hill said he had asked
OPA Administrator Prentiss Brown
for the facts in the Ginsburg case
and had been advised that Mr.. Gins
burg himself had never asked for
any deferment under the draft on
account of occupation and "in fact,
Mr.. Ginsburg is married man, with
a dependent wife, and certainly dur
ing most of the period of the draft
he would have been entitled to de-
ferment as a married man with a
fa tx,@
it is only recently that the Selective
Service System has been taking mar
ried men with dependent wives"
Former OPA Administrator Leon
Henderson sought the deferment,
Senator Hill said, adding that in his
opinion the request was never neces-
sary because Mr.. Ginsburg was al
ready entitled to deferment because
of this dependent wife.
Senator Hill made public letter
Mr.. Ginsburg wrote January l9 to
Administrator Brown, offering his
resignation and describing himself
as physically tired and a little
dispirited."
Pointed Out Problems.
Pointing out the problems that lay
ahead of the new administrator,
Mr.. Ginsburg wrote that directly
or indirectly, sooner or later. every
organized special interest and pres
sure group In this country will bring
its power to bear on you ..
Every decision which affects them
adversely will come to be challenged
before you or the Congress or the
public as threat to the war effort
or the public interest perpetrated
by a college professor or an mex
perienced young lawyer"
You must, therefore, decide now
or soon what and whom you will
defend" wrote Mr.. Ginsburg, add
ing:
Il combine in myself almost every
handicap that can be brought to an
important public ONCE in a war
agency IN January, 1943. I am a
New Deal Democrat, am a Jew and
l am young-31 in April AS a re-
suit Of my youth, incidentally, I
shall almost certainly be attacked
as a draft dodger.
This would hurt me fearfully and
hurt many others who are unknown
to me. Only the President can FORE
stall this, but it is doubtful whether
he would choose to do It,"
Senator Hill also put in the rec
ord a summary Of Mr.. Ginsburg's
draft status, showing that in the
summer OF 1941 Mr.. Ginsburg filed
his Selective service questionnaire
indicating dependency-not occupa-
tion-as the basis for his classifl-
cation.
On August 16, 194l, the OPA filed
the occupational request for defer
ment and the local board put Mr..
Glnsburg in IA for six months.
On January Is, 1912, Mr.. Hender-
son filed request for 2-B classifi-
cation of Mr.. Ginsburg.
On January 10, 1912, the draft
board notified Mr.. Ginsburg he had
been tentatively placed in Glass /,
but on March s, 1912, placed Mr..
Glnsburg in IA for six months. On
September 3, 1942. Mr.. Henderson
again requested 2-B for his general
counsel
ON September "a, 1912" Senator
Hill concluded. "the local board
placed Mr.. Ginsburg in Glass 3-B, his
present classification. This is a de-
pendency classification. The board
evidently reconsidered its original
decision on dependency and de-
cided that the original classification
In Glass IA was incorrect.
AT no time did Mr.. Ginsbure
himself ever ask for deferment be-
cause Of his job. The Office regarded
him as indispensable; those who
know his contributions to and place
in the organization have no doubt
regarding the correctness of that
decision"
p1:1.