Evening star., 1943-03-01
Fathers Drafted
In Some States,
McNutt Reveals
Denies Directive
Burs Induction
Until New Order

OnCU new Or0er
War Manpower Chairman Paul v
McNutt said today that marie,
men with children are now bein,
drafted in some States.
Asked at his press conference
about directive issued by selectiv
service last September barring tn
induction of family men until furth
er notice, he responded: There wa!
never such directive" and tha
family men are now being taken a.
States reach the bottom of theil
pools of available men.
Selective service headquarters re-
fused to comment on Mr.. McNutt'
statement. A selective servic,
spokesman, however. confirmed the
fact that there had been such {
directive. but would not say whether
or not it had been rescinded.
Denied Last Week.
The Star was informed by selec.
tive service last week, in answer to
questions about the reported draft
ing of fathers from the Grummar
aircraft plant on Long Island, that
fathers were not being drafted.
At the time selective service
pointed to the directive to local draft
boards and said it was still in effect
On several previous occasions at
his press conferences, Mr.. McNutt
has been asked ABOUT the directive
and on one occasion number of
reporters remained after the press
conference to discuss it with him at
length.
The question about fathers arose
today when reporter asked if Mr.
McNutt would make public the per-
centage OF fathers now being drafted.
He responded that he did not have
the exact figures and would have to
ask selective service.
Made No Distinction.
Does that mean that married
men with children are now being
taken?" another reporter asked.
Yes he answered, "in some
places"
Later a Manpower Commission
spokesman pointed out that men
whose children had been born after
Pearl Harbor did not have a de-
pendency claim on the basis of
their children, but Mr. McNutt did
not make that distinction when he
spoke generally of fathers.
Asked if he thought the calling
of men over 80 would cause a sub
stantial postponement in the time
when fathers would be called gener-
ally, Mr.. McNutt said he understood
that only 28-10 per cent of men
over 80 sent to induction stations
had been accepted before the Presi-
dent stopped the induction of senior
draft eligibles.
No Farm Plan Yet.
In response to questions about the
use of 4-F men, particularly on
farms, Mr.. McNutt said there had
been no plan presented him for call
ing them into farm service.
There has been too much talk
about forcing" he said. This is
0rOOlem OF recruitment.
Informed that newspapers are re-
ceiving a number of letters from
men protesting their draft classif1-
cations, Mr.. McNutt said that when
you are dealing with so many boards
some individuals will think their
cases are not handled right. But
they still have the right of appeal.
MY feeling is that the local boards
do try to follow the directives. but
they are dealing with individual
cases"
Cites Teamwork.
Asked If local boards would be
given special assistance in determin-
ing occupational deferments. he said
that they were getting the closest
cooperation from local United
States Employment Service Offices
md Labor Management Committees
and "the whole feeling is that we
are working as a team"
Mr.. McNutt, in answer to a ques-
lion about absenteeism. said that
the whole subject would be given
careful consideration before draft
boards were given any instructions
about changing the classifications of
deferred workers frequently absent
from their jobs. He said, however,
that there was question whether
a man who was guilty of chronic
absenteeism could ever be considered
essential on his job. He refused to
comment further on pending legis-
lation to provide for draft reclassi-
f1cation of absentee workers.