Evening star., 1943-04-15
BY MIRIAM OTTENBERG.

war ManpOWeT chairman raul
v. McNutt will be called on to
justify the draft Of fathers If he
goes to Congress with request for
increased payments to the de-
pendents OF family men in hard
ship cases, 1t was, indicated on
Capitol Hill today.
Mr.. McNutt said "some changes
are Indicated" in the payments to
dependents of servicemen, but
Chairman May of the House Military
Affairs Committee said he did not
believe Congress would boost al
lowances and allotments to de-
pendents.
Mr.. May said Congress wanted
to stick to the policy that bona
fide families should not be broken
up until absolutely necessary, re-
gardless of financial provisions.
Senator Wheeler, Democrat, of
Montana went on record. last night
in favor of fiat exemptions of fathers
whose children were born before the
Pearl Harbor attack, even II we had
to put a time limit on the period of
exemption"
He plans to propose amendments
to the House-approved Kilday bill TO
provide blanket deferments for
fathers as well as to require physi-
cal examinations now for all.regts-
trants to determine whether they are
fit for Army duty.
Changes in Orders Hit.
I'VE ought to be sure" he said.
that we don't draft men with chill
dren until we know there is definite
need for them. These constant
changes in orders by the Manpower
Commission and selective service
are disruptive to morale"
The Kilday bill, designed mainly
to eliminate the work or fight
policy which threatens men in non-
essential work with draft induction
unless they transfer to essential
work, also puts draft quotas on 4
State wide basis and provides for
postponing the induction of fathers
until the supply of eligible single
men and childless married men Is
exhausted.
Mr.. Wheeler proposed amending
the bill to require the Army to
furnish doctors to draft boards for
the purpose of determining "the
physical fitness of every man now
registered, so that all will know
with some certainty whether they
may expect to be called for Army
duty"
As Federal Security administra-
tor, Mr.. McNutt went to Congress
at the time dependency benefits
were first under discussion with
request for special payments in
hardship cases, but he was turned
down.
25,000 Cases Brought Up.
Some 25,000 cases where hardship
resulted from the wage -earner's in
duction have been brought to his
attention. however, he disclosed,
and he may feel now that he has
enough to 60 on to renew his re-
quest for funds to augment regular
payments with special allowances.
The coming draft of fathers pre-
dicted by the War Manpower chair
man has focused attention on the
question of allowances to depend
ents. Mr.. McNutt told a press con-
ference earlier this week he didn't
know how many hardship cases
would result from the father draft,
Congress, however. has been con-
sistent in its effort to postpone the
draft of fathers or even exempt
them from service. and probably
would hesitate to grant Mr.. Nc
Nuts request If it felt that by doing
so it was Fastening the draft Of
fathers in any way.
Mr.. McNutt mentioned hardship
cases among the families OF Ma.
tional Guardsmen who were called
to active duty regardless Of de-
pendents.
viii Determine Size Of Class SD.
The size of the dependency bene-
fits, 1t has been indicated. will have
an important effect on the number
OF men put into the newly estab-
hshed Glass SD, in, which are
placed men whose induction would
cause undue hardship, privation
and suffering to their dependents.
Just who will 90 into SD is being
left to the common sense Of draft
boards" Hardship cases, It was ex-
planned. will be decided not on the
basis Of the way the family was ac-
clistomed. to live but the living
standard of The community" IN
which the family resides.
The sire of the family will not be
the deciding factor since 4 man
with 1ive children may have sum-
cient income to support his family
after he enters the service while the
father of one child might leave his
family destitute II he withdrew his