Evening star., 1943-05-30
Father Draft Issue
Faces Review in PAY
Allotment Hearinq
Senator Johnson Says
He Also Will Question
Size Of Army

Inc WnOle question OF drafting
fathers as we'll as determining what
men should be deferred from the
dfaft as hardship cases, will be aired
on Capitol Hill during hearings on
increases in the Government con-
tribution to the families of service
men, it was learned yesterday.
Senator Johnson, Democrat, of
Colorado, who has been named
chairman of the Senate Military
Affairs Subcommittee to consider
the Lodge proposal for IS per cent
increase in the Governments con-
tribution to service families, said he
also would raise the question of the
size of the Army.
Senator Lodge, Republican, of
Massachusetts,, author of the bill,
said he would press for early hear
ings.
If we keep increasing the Army"
Senator johnson said, well have to
take fathers and the ratio of hard
ship cases will jump. In opposed
to bringing in fathers. We've got
more men now than we need"
: High Cost Hinted.
Senator Johnson said War Man
power Chairman McNutt had told
lEm some weeks ago he had a plan
fpr providing additional funds to
the families of servicemen Asked
What it would cost the Government.
senator johnson said Mr.. McNutt
Rd told him it would cost plenty"
/ Mr.. McNutt said he had submitted
FIVE proposals to the Secretaries of
War and Navy, listing the advan-
tages and disadvantages of each
nethod of aiding service families.
but had no response.
Just how many men who would
be deferred now as hardship cases
because of the size of the allow
anceS to their families, could -
taken if the allowances were in
creased depends on which method
nf increasing payments is used. Mr..
McNutt said
He reported that Everybody
seems agreed on giving a lump
sam contribution to families at the
time their relatives are indicted to
tide them over the period of five
70 seven weeks before the first
check arrives.
Elastic Clause Eliminated.
Both Senator johnson and SEN
ator Lodge agreed that discussion
during the hearings would not be
limited to the pending bill, but
would take in all proposals for re-
adjusting payments to families of
servicemen
When the allotment and allow
ance legislation was first before
Congress more than a year ago
Mr.. McNutt asked for an elastic
clause allowing the Federal Security
Agency to give additional funds to
service families in hardship cases
The proposal was opposed by the
army and Navy and supported by
the Budget Bureau Congress elm
mated it
: Mr. McNutt said he already had
reports that $4,000 families were
suffering because allowances were
insufficient to meet their needs and
added that something must be
done"
The Army and Navy have been
asked by the Senate Committee for
their opinions Of the Lodge proposal.
Representatives of the Red Cross
and Army Emergency Relief may
also be called on to testify. Senator
johnson said that before hearings
could begin. the committee would
have to find out the total cost of
increasing the allowances, how
families are getting along under
the present system and how many
men will have to be deferred from
service as hardship cases under the
present system.
2,64S,152 Allowances O. KID.
According to the latest figures.
2,648,l5$ allowances to the families
of servicemen have been approved
by the Office Of Dependency Bene-
fits.
During April, Brig. Gen. H. N.
Gilbert, chief of the ODB, said
servicemen allotted s5O,O33 .O69.48 to
their families under the matching
system with the Government and
the Governments contribution was
S64, 02O, ,952 "a. 1t is the latter figure
which would be increased by IS per
cent under the Lodge proposal.
Gen. Gilbert pointed out that
families of service men also are re-
celVlng funds direct from their rela-
tlVes in the armed forces or through
allotments not made on a match
Ing basis with the Government.
Officers and enlisted men are max
Ing l,263,650 voluntary allotments
Of pay to their families, Gen. Gilbert
reported. In April alone, this
amounted to s58276,969 SO.
Clerical Force Cut Out.
"A lot Of people, he said. over
look the fact that soldiers still have
money to send home after theg have
made their allotmentS. In many
cases, particularly when thev are
overseas, they have little use for
money
Mail from families reporting thev
we're suffering, because of the size
OF the checks. had been reduced to
such an extent. he said. that the
branch office of Army Emergency
Relief attached to ODB had elimi-
mated its clerical force for lack of
work
' Applications to go under the allot-
ment and allowance system, he said
now avpraoa - OOO n ~lo,.