Evening star., 1943-02-24
House Investigation
Into Draft Status Of
u. 5. Workers Opens
Deferment of Fathers
Also Considered by
Military Committee
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Continued From First Page
service legislation to farm labor de
ferments.
The investigation was ordered or
motion of Representative Harness
Republican, of Indiana, who de.
clared that approximately 1000 ,00(
male civilian Government workers
of draft age have not been called
for induction.
You see them walking arounc
Washington and filling the office,
set UP all over town" the Indianar
said Maybe they have been de-
ferred for good and sufficient cause
and maybe they haven't. But at a
time when We are talking about in
Quoting fathers, I think we ought
to find out how many Of these Gov
ernment workers are so essential
they cannot be spared for the Army
or the Navy"
MI. Costello, asserting the nvesti-
cation probably would center IN
Washington first. said:
IF it is true that million men
of military age have been given de-
fermentS because of their work for
the Government, l believe we should
know the reasons for the deferments
and whether the men cannot be re-
placed We want to find out whether
many of them can be replaced by
women, by men beyond the draft
age or by heads of families who
otherwise might have to 60 into the
Army
Executive Order Drafted.
CThe Bellamy report. from which
the figure of 100000 men of draft
age in Government service is drawn,
does not say all these men were de-
ferred because of their work in the
Government service. Included in
this deferred group are also the men
deferred because Of dependents as
we'll as those rejected because of
physical handicapsD
President Roosevelt disclosed,
meanwhile. that an executive order
is being drafted to carry out the
recommendations of the committee
headed by Paul Bellamy, editor of
the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which
reported that thousands of Federal
workers can be released to the
armed forces by eliminating need
less and overlapping functions. The
President called the report a very
good one.
Wheeler Would Exempt Fathers.
Congressional applause for the
Army's decision to fur!ough troop
units to help farmers with their
harvests was accompanied today by
a statment by Senator Wheeler,
Democrat, of Montana that he was
thinking of offering broad amend
ment to the Selective Service Act to
exempt all fathers, living with their
families, from Army service.
That would go much further than
legislation sponsored in the House
by Representative Kilday. Democrat,
of Texas, who proposes to set up
series of classifications under which
fathers would be deferred until all
able bachelors and childless married
men had been drafted.
Senator Wheeler declared the
drafting of fathers "and the break
ing up of homes" when there are
many physically fit men above 38
who can be used" would be "a dis
tinct disservice to the country"
Senator Wheeler and Chairman
Smith of the Senate Agriculture
Committee agreed that the drafting
of single and childless married men
between 3S and As would have to
be resumed to meet the Army goal
of 5000 900 men by December 81.
Meanwhile Mr.. Kilday announced
ne would as the Rules Committee
to clear the measure for House
vote ,arly next week.
Explaining his measure in
speech sharply critical of Mr.. Nc
Mutt, Mr.. Kilday drew a burst of
applause in the House yesterday
when he declared the family re-
lationship in this Nation would be
protected to the last second pos
sible."
To guarantee that protection, to
make fathers the last to go, he en-
phasized. was the primary objective.
Mr.. Kilday's attack on Mr.. Nc
Mutt, WHO announced recently that
dependency no longer would be con-
sidered as a draft factor in nom
essential work, brought from other
MilitarY Affairs Committee men,
bers i prediction that legislation
might be forthcoming soon to divest
the War Manpower Commission of
It's draft jurisdiction.
McNutt Order Hit.
Scores Of communications from
local draft boards. Mr.. Kilday said,
evidence a genuine and a sincere
apprehension for the continuance
of the selective service under the
control of Mr.. McNutt"
Many Graft board members. he
said, asserted they will not be a
party 70 such -Christianlike con-
duct" as the "promiScuous induction
in disregard of family relationship
under the McNutt order"
Mr.. Kilday emphasized that his
bill would not prevent the induction
of married men with children, but
only would require that their in
duction be deferred until qualified
and available single men and mar
ried men without children in the
same state had been called to the
colors.