Evening star., 1943-03-19
Rooseve|tHop
To Avoid Draft
Of Manpower
Riokenbocker Urges
Incentive Plan to
Meet War Needs
BY J. A. OLEARY.

If American industry coulc
substitute the incentive piece
work system for the 40-houl
week and the hourly wage the
Nation would have no manpowel
problem. Capt. Eddie Ricken-
backer told the Senate Military
Affairs Committee today.
II realize the 40-hour week was
a share-the-Work depression borne
move, but it seems unreasonable to
me that in the midst of the greatest
crisis in our history we are still pro-
ceedlng on a depression basis
Meanwhile, President Roosevelt
said he hoped national service legis-
lation would not be necessary for
this country, and that in any event
he wanted to avoid it Just as long as
possible.
Timing Is Big Question.
It may or may not be necessary
to have compulsory legislation to
mobilize the Nations manpower, he
said. He explained that the big
question in his mind on the sub
ject was timing, emphasizing that
As long as production could be kept
up without compulsory legislation
he would not favor it.
Asked what his objections to such
legislation are, the President re-
q r-k
complicated machinery and regi-
mentation. He then added almost
as an afterthought that, of course,
we can't win a war without regi-
mentation.
He declined any comment on
report understood to have been
made to him this week by a special
committee on manpower problems.
He said there were no general con-
clusions in the report. which con-
sisted of various memoranda.
Asked if there was anything in the
works on manpower, he replied that
there is something in the works all
the time.
The special manpower study was
made by group Of presidential ad-
visors. including Director of Stabili-
zation James F. Byrnes, Bernard
Baruch, Harry Hopkins, Judge
Samuel I. Roseman and Admiral
William D. Leahy, chief of staff to
the President.
Sees No Hope Before l945.
Warning the Senate committee
against the complacent thought of
early victory, Capt. Rickenbacker
said:
L see no hope, barring mircales,
that Germany will crack before the
fall of 1914, and it will take another
six months or a year to break
Japan"
If it doesn't end then. the flyer
said, 1T may become a war of at
triton"
Chairman Reynolds asked Capt.
Rlckenbacker if he cared to COM
ment on the criticism that in his
recent utterances he has been cam
paigning for the presidency.
Il am campaigning, Senator, day
end night, bat it is for victory for
Uncle Sam and his thousands of
boys on the fighting fronts, who Will
soon include one of my own" the
witness replied
Senator Reynolds said ne has also
heard the charge that Capt Ricken-
hacker is creating diSunity.
Denies Being Labor Halter"
Il am creating disunity between the
Creat majority OF men and women
and the racketeering minority" he
responded, and I intend to continue
until the country is awakened to
some Of the mistakes of the past 10
or IS years.
He termed "a daStardly lie" what
he said was criticism that he is a
labor hater and a labor batter"
Senator Reynolds said he under
stood the captain was not directing
his criticism Of production output
at the great majority of individual
workers, but at labor leaders.
Capt. RickenbaCker replied that
he has been a laboring man himself,
that he has labor unions in the
commercial airline of which he is
CSee MANPOWER, Page Alb