Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-14
Army and Navy Plan
Force Of 100000,
Says Senator Thomas
Congress Must Check
This Monpower Wuste,'
Okluhomun Declares
BY JESSE O. IRWIN.

BY JESSE o. IRWIN.
Senator Thomas, Democrat, of
Oklahoma said today the goal
Of the chiefs of staff of the
armed forces is 100000 men
and that ut will be up to Con-
gres to check this extravagant
waste of the Nations man
power"
"The ultimate size of the Army
and Navy Is not 100000 but
100000 men," Senator Thomas as
serted. I'VE have just found this
out, and it will be up to Congress
to check it,"
He intimated that this informa-
ton was the real basis for the gen.
eral discussion by members of the
Senate Agriculture Committee on
the size of the armed forces at
yesterdays hearings to consider a
more flexible Interpretation of the
Tydings farm deferment amend
ment to the 'teen-age" Selective
Service Act.
Committee members yesterday
predicted an armed force Of 10000 600
men would break down the mo-
rale of the people"
Silent on Source.
The Oklahoman refused to reveal
the source for the 10000, 000-man
Army and Navy statement, but he
emphasized that these new figures
ARE going to be an issue in Congress,
let no one be fooled about that"
How are you going to feed an
armed force of 100000 men and
keep the people at home and our
Allies supplied with food?" he asked.
How are you going to find the
ships to transport these men to the
global battle fields, and how are you
going to keep them supplied with
equipment"
Senator Bankhead, Democrat, OF
Alabama agreed with Senator
Thomas that Congress would have
to do something about the size Of
the Army and Navy"
Cites Supply Theory.
IT said for the record at the
hearings ard I repeat it now-send
equipment and food to Russia, to
Britain and to China. They'll do
the rest. The theme of our Allies,
give us the tools and we'll finish
the job appears to have been for
gotten by some in this country.
"One thing is certain - hungry
days are ahead for all of U.s."
With Senator Bankhead acting as
chairman, a Senate Agriculture
Subcommittee was in session today
attempting to work out a formula
that would give the local draft
boards more leeway in the defer
ment of essential farm workers url-
der the Tydings amendment.
At a round-table discussion late
Yesterday with representatives OF the
National Grange, the Farm Bureau
Federation, the National Milk and
Dairy Council and the National
Farmers Union, members of the
subcommittee discussed a sugges-
ton reported to have been offered
by Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey,
selective service director.
Could Vary Standard.
The Hershey suggestion calls for
a continuation of the 16-war-unit
standard furnished to olcal draft
boards as deferment guide. but
the boards would be instructed not
to apply the standard las a rigid
yardstick."
1t was explained that by reason
of regional and area variation In
production methods the 16- unit
standard obviously may be either
too high or too low. Based on
conditions existing within their own
localities, local draft boards, in the
event the Hershey SUGGESTION Is
approved, would be justified in de-
waiting from the standard.
at would appear unreasonable
under any circumstance" a state
ment furnished to the committee by
Gen Hershey said, for local board
to consider for selective service
classification in 2-B or &c any
registrant whose efforts do not re-
suit in the production of at least 10
war units of essential farm products u
What Standard Provides.
The 16-unit standard calls for the
deferment of a farm worker who
now cares for II cows and who next
July l will care for 16 COWS, or who
cares for or harvests 80 acres of
corn, or 240 acres of wheat, barley,
oats or rye. or 1872 acres of fax or 80
acres of potatoes or peanuts. Or
one who tends to 800 hogs, or 240
range cattle. or $500 broilerS, or
1900 egg producing chickens, or
480 sheep or 1850 lambs in feed
lots or 720 lambs on range, or who
cares for $40 turkeys.
Senator Bankhead said the sub
committee members were not in
agreement on the suggestion when
the meeting recessed until today
He said he was not in favor of it
because only two areas in the coun-
try have farms that measure up
to 10 war units of work. These
III GdS are lllc CdSttIh anu VCoeCI II
North Central States.
Senator Tydings, Democrat, OF
Maryland met with the subcomnit-
tee and later Informed newspaper
men that he thought the Hershey
suggestion would be an ideal solu-
ton" However, Senator Bankhead
said the suggested flooring was too
high and would tend ito wipe out
the family-sized farm
Deferments Cited.
The Marylander said the fact
that about $4,000 farmers had
been deferred since November 13
when his amendment went into
effect, speaks for itself as to the
good it is doing" Furthermore
he added, it was stabilizing farm
employment.
However. some concern was ex-
pressed by other members of the
Senate over the reported success
of the Tydings amendment. They
feel that it will be an invitation
for other groups to demand sim