Evening star., 1943-09-09
Halt in Father Draft
Might Slow Victory,
Senate Group Hears
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

as~i
BY J. A. OLEARY.
Passage of the Wheeler bill to halt
the drafting of fathers might hinder
the carrying out of the Army,s war
plan. 1t. Col. Francis V. Keesling.
Selective Service official, told a Sem
ate Military Affairs Subcommittee
this afternoon.
For that reason. he urged the
Senate to recommit the bill to its
Military Affairs Committee for fur
ther hearings
Il am convinced" said Col. KEGS
ling. after giving this matter most
careful though, that before the
Wheeler bill is debated on the floor
of the Senate, the members of the
Senate Committee on Military At
fairs should receive and consider
full and complete information,
which has not yet been presented,
from the War Department. Navy
Department and high command
concerning the necessity for having
an armed force of the planned size
in order to carry out strategic war
plans, together with information
from the respective services as to
utilization of non-general service
personnel. whether it consists of
limited service, overage or women"
At the outset, Col. Keesling said
10,204. 1866 men had become members
of the armed forces up to July 81.
but this is gross figure, including
deaths and disability discharges. As
of December 81. he said, the total
will be II ,724 ,066 tF
His figures indicated that 446 900
fathers will have to be called to
make up the quotas for the next
three months.
Col. Keesling gave the figures to
dispel any impression that defer
ments in the Federal service and in
essential industry constitute a vast
source Of possible draftees.
Wheeler Serves Notice.
This testimony comes within few
days of the reconvening of Congress
next Tuesday. at which time Senator
Wheeler, Democrat. of Montana has
served notice he will seek action on
his bill. The bill would postpone
the calling of any pre-Pearl Harbor
fathers until January /.
The War and Navy Departments
take the position that they must
have an Army and a Navy of the
planned size" COL Keesling con-
tinued. land they further contend
that they are utilizing .nongeneral
service personnel to the maximum
possible from the standpoint of the
best interests of the war effort
Earlier, Senator Downey. Demo-
crat, of California told Government
ofhcials testifying that the possibil-
ltv of keeping Italian prisoners in
this country, not as prisoners but as
workers to help meet the manpower
shortage. should be investigated.
DR.. Gustave Peck, War Production
Board consultant on manpower. said
he understood the Army and the
War Manpower Commission have
been comforting on the war prisoner
problem. but he was not in a position
to discuss the matter.
Terms Not Yet Known.
The question now is. how long
are the Italians going to be pris-
oners," observed Col Clarence
Harshman, chief of the labor branch
OF the 9th Service Command. Fort
Douglas, Utah.
Senator Downey. asked whether
Gen. Dwight Eisenhower's armistice
terms made any reference to the
status of prisoners. Col. Harshman
said he had no information beyond
newspaper reports. but. recalled
reading several weeks ago that Ital-
ian prisoners had been promised
repatriation if their government
surrendered.
Following Italy's surrender.
demands were voiced on both
sides Of the Capitol for quick
action to halt the drafting of
pre-Pearl Harbor fathers, Chair
man May Of the House Military
Affairs Committee said today.
He predicted prompt enactment
of legislation to block the move
or at least to forestsll it until
the middle OF next year.
Mr. May said casualties. not
only in Italy but In Sicily and
North Africa, had been far below
even the most optimistic ex-
pectations.'D
West Coast Needs Cited.
Other highlights or the hearing,
which dealt primarily with man.
power problems on the West coast,
were:
Don H. Roney, assistant regional
director for the War Manpower
Commission in San Francisco. said
l78.000 more workers are being
sought during the last half of this
year by the shipbuilding and air.
craft industries alone on the West
Coast.
The witness suggested it would
be desirable to try to keep beyond
January for other work, the $4,000
Mexicans still there under tempo
rary contracts to harvest crops.
Calling the need for common
labor In Western steel foundries one
of the critical manpower shortages,
Mr.. Roney said his personal view
is that some workers may have to
be subsidized to remain at unpless-
ant or undesirable jobs because of
the opportunity they have to get
more pay in shipyarcis,