Evening star., 1943-03-02
Toward TotuI Mobilization

| edly All dllo D COlIiililblSc OIl llie AuSUlIl-
WadsWorth universal service bill be-
gin today. Some of the opposition to
| this bill will come from those who,
| like Chairman McNutt Of the War
Manpower Commission, believe -- In
| spite of the record-that a semi-vol-
| unteer system of civilian mobiliza-
ton will work. Other opposition will
come from those who conceive the
bill as a proposal to draft labor"
But if public sentiment crystallizes
in the future, as 1t has In the past,
this measure eventually will become
law. Every additional failure to
utilize effectively our civilian man.
power becomes an added argument in
it's favor. And when the people ac-
cept the principle of this bill, they
will not accept it as meaning peon-
age in any sense of the word. They
will accept it by adopting as their
own the policy and intent" of the
sponsors of the bill: "* that in
view of the critical nature of the
present war and in justice to those
in the armed forces of the United
States, it is necessary to provide fur
ther for the comprehensive, orderly,
and effective mobilization Of the
manpower and womanpower of the
Nation in support of the war effort"
AS far as concerns the nlobiliza-
ton of our manpoWer for the fight
Ing forces, we have gone almost all OF
the way. But in doing so we have
left a gap, yet to be filled, in mobiliz-
ing the Nation for total war. We
have taken our best young men, put
them in uniform and are sending
them to the ends of the earth to fight
and If necessary to die to bring us
victory But at home we still give
man his choice about how and where
he shall work or not work-a desir-,
able thing if we get the nanpower
we need where it is needed, but an
undesirable thing if it stands in the
way of winning the war.
We are hesitant to take this step in
regard to total civilian mobilization.
We were equally hesitant in begin
ming the mobilization of our man.
power for the armed forces. The first
CONSUMPTION bill of September, 1910,
was approved, So to 81, in the Senate,
263 to 149 in the House, but the
period of service was limited to one
year and the number Of drafted men
in the service at one time to 100000
and their service forbidden beyond
the Western Hemisphere except in
United States possessions. And the
House, by seven votes, favored a
trial first in raising an Army by vol
| unteer enlistments, but was unable to
| persuade the Senate to agree.
In the next year, 1941. the House
by a margin Of one vote and the
Senate by fifteen, removed the 900,-
! 600 limitation-but not the ban on
| foreign service. Nor would Congress
give the President power to retain
the men in service Indefinitely, and
Congress deferred men of twenty
| eight and older. It was not until
Pearl Harbor that Congress lifted the
ban on foreign service and extended
the period of enlistment to six
months after the end of hostilities.
Lowering the draft age to eighteen
was talked about and bills introduced
considerably in advance of any Con-
gressional action or any sign of favor
from the administration. When this
measure finally came to vote, there
was little opposition in Congress and
the people accepted it without sub
stantial protest.
They will accept the universal draft
Of all men and women for war service
at home, just as they have accepted
the draft of their sons for service in
the armed forces. There may be de-
lay in this, as there has been delay
in nearly every other step we have
taken in getting on war footing
But when our people see the need for
this legislation, they will accept it.
Confusion in Washington on volun-
teer manpoWer mobilization is clari-
flying that need now.