Evening star., 1943-03-04
Kin Of Troops
Seen Forcing
Worker Draft
Top Men Blamed
In Monpower Crisis
At Senate HEARING
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

~ 80 ~ A%ALTAASA
When the United States gets
100000 men and women in it's
armed forces, their relatives will
constitute a majority of the
population, and they will demand
a universal national service law,
Grenville Clark, New York law
yer, told the Senate Military AZ
fairs Committee today.
He was testifying as secretary-
treasurer of the Citizens Committee
for a National Service Act, which is
supporting the Austin -Wadsworth
bill to assign men and women to
war Industries if voluntary recruit
ing of sufficient workers fail.
Earlier, the committee was in
formed IN summary of its own
manpoWer inquiries that Govern
ment agencies lack authority to take
really effective action" in solving
labor problems.
Top Officials Blamed.
Analysing testimony from Gov
eminent and military officials in a
month-long inquiry preceding hear
ings on the Austin -Wadsworth bill.
Col. Lewis Sanders of selective serv-
ice blamed lack of coordination at
the top for most of the manpower
difficulties.
Emphasizing that he was giving
his personal views, COL Sanders said
the evidence indicates the need Of a
co-ordinated program covering both
the supply of manpower to the
armed services and ALLEGATION of
manpoWer to production and the
planning OF production itself so that
the manpower ALLEGATION, plant IA
cllIties and supply of raw materials
shall be integrated in a consistent
program"
Mr.. Clark told the committee he
had talked with farmers, laborers
and the man on the street, as we'll as
high officials, "and I haven't met a
single person who had a near rela-
tive in uniform who was not for this
bill or one similar to it,
Nov, when you get to people who
don't have son or brother in mill
oci y oSA FASC yo0 OC6lll W CllCOO4ltCI
a difference of opinion" the witness
added, land for the simple reason
they don't have the same incentive
to get this war over quickly"
Peoples Demand Seen.
He said the Citizens Committee
started in modest way at meeting
in New York and Boston in Deem
ber, but hopes to expand on a Ma
tion-wide scale, by organizing those
with near relatives in the fighting
forces. He said it is obvious that the
families of 100000 soldiers will
represent majority of the country.
For that reason, he predicted:
1T is as certain as that the sun
will rise tomorrow that when 1,0O0,-
900 men are in the Army, the people
will demand that their country do
what every other major power in
the war has done to meet the man
power problem"
This country's war effort would be
months ahead of the present sched-
ule If Congress in peacetime had
followed the recommendation of the
1A1ilSAiSoll bCSlOll 1Ol d ullltCl Sd4
war service law, Roam Waring, ma
tional commander, told the commit
tee in statement filed for him.
Mr.. Warnings statement said the
Legion deems the pending bill me
cessary and vital to the war effort"
From CIO and AFL members Of
Labor Policy Committee within
the War Manpower Commission,
however, came objections to the bill.
They said in a statement that it
"calls for nothing but the power to
draft labor at time when the ex-
ercise of that power may simply
make matters worse by continuing
to draft labor without co-ordinated
production and civilian economy
planning.
Clark Backs Bill.
While urging passage of the meas.
ure, Mr.. Clark submitted one amend.
ment, which would direct the Presi-
dent to appoint, subject to Senate
confirmation, a director of national
service at $4,000 a year to admin
lister the law. AS introduced, the
measure merely empowered the
President to work through the ex-
isting War Manpower Commission
and Selective Service System.
Mr.. Clark emphasized local draft
boards would only be called on to
draft men and women for war work
| if a presidential call for given
number of volunteers failed.
Senator OMahoney, Democrat, Of
Wyoming wanted to know If reten-
ton of the voluntary method as the
first step wouldn't magnify the
present trouble in the manpower
situation" resulting from the move
ment of workers from farms to fac
tories or from one essential industry
to another.
Mr.. Clark said there would have
to be regulations to govern that,
adding that if the President called
for $4,000 volunteers to enter the
West Coast shipyards, "of course a
(see MANPOWER, Page A-2O)
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