Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-09
Foes Of Large Army
See Better Prospect
For Manpower Draft
New Revision Offered
Of Bunkheud Bill to
Defer Farm Workers

By he Associated Press,
Convinced the administration
is determined to boost the size
of the armed forces to 100000
by the years end, congressional
foes Of military expansion saw
Increased prospects today of
drafting civilian manpower to
produce war supplies.
The Senate, meanwhile. was con-
fronted with another revision of
a farm labor deferment bill ex-
Guiding agriculture workers from
the draft only if they produce crops
essential to war needs.
The measure was offered by Sen
atOr Bankhead, Democrat, Of Ala
bama, TO meet administration OBJ
jections to his previous bill which
called for deferment of all draft
registrants engaged regularly in AN
agricultural occupation"
Meantime. members of Senate
bloc who have appealed for cut
IN military expansion plans on the
ground the manpower left would
be insufficient 10 produce the ncces-
sary food and supplies. acknoWl-
edged their appeals apparently we're
futile.
They referred to a report from
an authoritative quarter disclosing
that a special committee appointed
by President Roosevelt had agreed
that the goal of 100000 in the
armed forces should be achieved
Senator Bankhead and other
members of group opposing en-
largement said that the administra-
ton appeared determined to go
through with these plans.
The Ala ALBANIAN, a member of the
Senate Appropriations Committee.
remarked that the only weapon left
appeared to be the congressional
purse strings which conceivably
could be frightened sufficiently to
cut off funds needed for military
expansion.
Compulsory Mobilization.
Other members of the bloc. how
ever, privately expressed doubt that
the appropriations group could be
persuaded to dare this step and
theorized that the only solution to
the manpOWer shortage in industry
likely would be some compulsory
mobilization similar to the AUSTIN
Wadsworth proposal
Senator Bankhead cOntended that
despite the War Manpower Com
M c ole
designed to encourage a shift of
men over SO to the farms and the
order TO draft boards to defer farm
workers individually. Congress
should declare its intent to keep
agricultural labor from the armed
services
His substitute bill would erase q
January l, 1914 time limit set by
the Senate Military Affairs Commit
tee in amending his original meas
ure and would defer only farm
workers engaged in full-time pro-
duCiOn Of commodities listed as es-
sential by the Secretary OF Agri-
culture.
The measure differs from another
substitute offered by Senator OMa-
honey, Democrat, Of Wyoming in
that it does not set a minimum
standard OF production.
The O'Mahoney measure, gen.
orally regarded as more satisfactory
to administration supporters, also
would require a farmer to show that
he is necessary" to his occupation
and would authorize deferment as
long as he is engaged in farming
and until satisfactory replace
ment" can be made.
Senator Bankhead commended
these requirements would jeopardize
the purpose of the bill because
farmers would hesitate to ask for
deferment and mo man can show
that he is necessary to anything"