Evening star., 1943-02-25
Measure 10 EXEMPT
Fathers From Draft
Whipped Into Shape
Two House Committees
To investigate Deferment
Of Federal Workers

A bill to exempt all fathers
from military service was
whipped into shape today as it's
sponsors called for transfer of
able-bodied Army men from
desks to fields of action" and
their replacement by men from
38 to As.
At the same time. House Naval
and Military Affairs Committees
mapped plans to investigate the
draft deferment of military-age
Government workers here and else
where, bringing to five the number
OF House Investigations of Govern
ment employees.
The bill to keep fathers out OF
service is sponsored by Senator
Wheeler, Democrat, of Montana.
who said selective service should
turn to bachelors and childless hus-
bands up to As rather than break
up homes where there are young
children He said it could be done
by wedding out husky youths doing
routine office jobs for the Army"
Blanket Exemption.
His measure would provide
blanket exemption for all fathers
married before the Pearl Harbor
attack and living with their families.
The induction of men from 38 to
As was halted some months ago on
the complaint of the Army that
older men could not stand the rigors
of training. Authority exists to
resume induction of men above 81
without further legislation.
The House Military Affairs In
quiry was ordered yesterday aft
ternoon In a three-hour meeting
and Representative Costello, Demo-
crat, Of California, who is directing
1t, said the inquiry would not be lim-
tied to Government workers alone,
but would be broadened to take in
all deferred men, regardless of by
whom employed.
The committee plans to investi-
gate the Districts selective service
setup, as well as others throughout
the Nation, to eliminate privilege
and favoritism."
Representative Harness, Repub-
lican, of Indiana, at whose request
this inquiry was ordered, said that
he would insist that the committee
take up first the cases of deferment
of "the staff of Harvard lawyers at
OPA, many of whom look able
bodied and young enough to be in
uniform. and most of them can be
replaced easily"
The subcommittee issued the fol-
lowing statement as to its plans:
To Determine Evasions.
ut is our intention to determine to
what extent personnel who should
be serving with the armed forces
are evading their military obligation
by holdings replaceable positions in
government and in industry.
The committee also intends to
make a similar investigation at
various localities throughout the
country in order to determine to
what extent unwarranted industrial
deferments have been given or de-
ferments have been granted to per-
sons who can readily be replaced.
See Large Number Eligible.
Undoubtedly, there must be a
large group of people eligible for
the draft who are evading military
service through unjustif1ed defer
ments. The committee intends to
replace this group with those not
eligible for military service.
'It is believed by the members of
this committee that every person
subject to the draft should share
equally the burden of the war eff
fort and that no one should be per-
mitted to avoid his responsibility to
the Government by reason of special
treatment through deferment. So
far as it is possible to do so, the COM
mittee will eliminate special privilege
and favoritism from the selective
service system. The privileged will
be forced into military uniforms"
Subcommittee members include
in addition to Mr.. Costello and Mr..
Harness, Representative Sparkman,
Democrat, of Alabama; Representa-
tive Gathings, Democrat, of Ar
kansas; Representative Philbin.
Democrat, of Massachusetts,; Rep
resentative Arends, Republican. of
Illinois; Representative Elston, Re
publican, of Ohio.
Other committees which have
Federal personnel under scrutiny |
are the Dies committee and an ap-
preparations committee unit, which |
are looking into subversive activities. |
and the Civil Service Committee,
whose inquiry is designed to deter
mine If agencies are overstafed.