Evening star., 1943-09-15
High Command
Goes 10 Capitol
To Explain Draft
Continued From First Page }

questions will be answered in closec
session, Mr.. Patterson said the
prospects of victory are brighter,
but it is the considered judgment OF
the military leaders that we still
have long, hard fight ahead"
Mr.. Patterson declared, The
only deferment from military serv-
ice should be occupational defer
ment, With no other ground of de-
ferment recognized. many of the
fathers Of military age now engaged
in unessential activities would be
prompted to go to munitions plants,
and large part of our present
shortage of manpower in those
plants would be relieved. The gain
in output of munitions would be
large"
Manpower Adequate.
The manpoWer of this Nation is
adequate for the prosecution of the
war, the Undersecretary argued, but
it will not be if 100000 fathers on
the selective service rolls are told
that they have mo obligation, mill
tary or industrial, toward winning
the war
He added that 'if the proposal
were adopted, the men to be added
to the military forces would neces-
sarily be the non-fathers who are
doing skilled work in munitions
plants. In that case our production
of planes would go to pieces and
with it would 60 our surest means
of winning the war.
Mr.. Patterson pointed out that
there already are 100000 fathers in
active military service and said no
other nation at war excuses fathers
as such.
In support of his position. he
quoted from the hitherto unpub-
lished report of Bernard M. Baruch
on manpower. as follows:
. The interests of war production
demand that from now on defer
ments be made more on the basis
of occupation than family status
The draft already has cut so deeply
into the ranks of skilled workers
that war production is being hurt.
OF the 100000 undrafted fathers
of military age, about one-half are
believed to be engaged in Industries
less essential to the war. If these
fathers were freed from the draft,
they would be able to remain I'M
touched in these less-essential in
dustries, contributing nothing to
the mobilization of manpower for
war.
Some Draftees Released.
"In a number of instances the
armed forces have been compelled
to release draftees whose skills
could not be replaced To dip fur
ther into the ranks of war workers
with irreplaceable skills, while leav-
Ing untouched some millions of
fathers not engaged in war work,
would be to invite a serious re-
tarding of war production"
Mr.. Patterson estimated Axis
strength in the field at $50 divisions,
which he said was in excess of the
ground forces of the United Nations
Several committeeman asked for
a comparison of the number of men
and the amounts of supplies sent
overseas by Canada and the United
States. Gen. McNarney said he
would not want to answer that, and
later suggested to Chairman Rey-
rolds that Canadian officials in
Washington be asked to give that
data.
Il would like to know if we're 60
Ing to have to fight this war, or
whether our allies are going to get
in and help" Senator Wallgren,
Democrat of Washington, observed
Answers also will be given in ex-
ecutive session to question by SEN
ator Millikin, Republican of Colo
rado, who said rumors are current
that men are being overturned in
this country He said he has heard
reports of men receiving basic train
ing three times.
Gen. McNarney warned Congress
that this country must continue to
mobilize fighting men with all pos
sible speed, and asserted that Who
ever initiates a change that would
curtail or reduce the recruiting goal
must assume the grave responsible
ity for ignoring the considered judg-
ment of our military leaders"
Enemies Only Hurt.
Our enemies have been hurt, but
not fatally crippled" the general
said. adding:
Our strategy should be that of
the boxer, who, having landed
damaging blow, should follow up to
knock out his opponent"
ITO carry out the strategical mis-
sions which were determined upon
at the Quebec conference" he con-
tinued, the Army must reach by
December 81 of this year a strength
of approximately 100000 officers
and men. The collapse of Italy
does not affect these figures. This
includes 10000 nurses and WACS.
The approximate strength of the
Army on September !. l943, was
100000 Inductions for the rest of
the year will probably vary from
145,000 to 175,000 a month.
$4,000 Monthly Requirements.
Gen. McNarney explained the ap-
parent overage was caused by the
fact it is necessary to induct some
$4,000 men a month merely to keep
the Army up to current strength,
because of discharges, casualties and
similar losses of electives.
Gen. Marshall has expressed his
very strong conviction that an army
of 100000 by December 81, 1943. is
the minimum force required for the
tasks ahead" Gen. McNarney de-
clared. Amy curtailment, reduction
or postponement of an army of T.
100000 on December 81, 1943, will
necessitate a change in our Strate-
gical commitments. Whoever ini-
tiates such a change must assume
the grave responsibility for ignoring
the considered judgment of our mil
itary leaders arrived at after careful
and prolonged studies
Gen. McNarney said it is fair to
predict that the United States will
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