Evening star., 1943-02-19
Roosevelt Rebukes
Congress for Debate
On Size Of Army
Says He Set l943 Goal
At 7h Million, Sees No
Reason for More Talk

President Roosevelt today indi-
rectly rebuked Congress for de-
batting the size of the Army, en-
phasizing at a press conference
that he had decided six months
ago as Commander in Chief that
there should be 100000 men in
the Army by the end of 1943 and
that he did not know why the
question should be talked about
any more.
At the end of this year, he added
there will be approximately 10,300,-
600 in uniform in all services.
He asserted that the 1943 goals fol
the armed services are based or
strict military needs, and had not
been change since he set them last
August.
(Manpower officials indicated
in recent statements that the
total in all armed services would
pass II 100000 by the end of the
year,
A reporter remarked there had
been an argument that munitions
and supplies could not be furnished
for so large a force and also for
lease-lend commitments. The Pres
ident replied that there was abso-
lutely nothing to that-that NUM-
tions would be available for all
Sees Youths in Farm Jobs.
The President said that so far as
the farm labor shortage is con-
cerned he believed use of young
people of high school age could do
lot to relieve it.
The farm labor situation came
up when a reporter asked if Mr..
Roosevelt was worried over the con-
tention by some that it was i'm
possible to have an army of that
size and raise all the food needed.
Mr.. Roosevelt replied that he was,
of course, concerned. Then he went
on to relate a story he said a news
paper man told him in Casablanca
Of how Moscow met a serious food
and fuel problem in the spring of
1912.
The President said the Russians
took 100000 school children and
planted every acre about the city as
soon as the cold was out of the
ground. Then these young people
cut wood in the forest, and in that
way Moscow was supplied with
enough food and fuel to live on. He
told the story, he said, just by way
of illustration of what could be done
when manpower was lacking.
Comments on Kilday Bill.
He had said in the past, he re-
called, that he believed younger peo-
pie could help farmers very materi-
ally.
Without mentioning the name. he
related also story of how practi-
cally the whole population of an
American community turned out last
year to gather the prune crop OF
neighboring farmers.
Asked for comment On the bill by
Representative Kilday. Democrat, OF
Texas to defer married men until
all single men were drafted, the
President said he was not familiar
with the measure, but that the ques-
ton was not one of married or sin
gle men but one of getting physi-
cally fit men.
The discussion of the size of the
Army was touched off by a question
asking the President whether he had
any suggestions relative to pending
legislation which would affect the
issue.
The President said he had, but
he did not know whether the time
was ripe for them.
No Idea of 1914 Needs.
AS for 1914, he said he had not
the faintest idea of what size the
armed forces should be. But, he
added, he could look ahead to this
autumn when new figures would
come in and a goal for 1914 would
be established. Right now, he said
we can't even guess at it.
He remarked that a lot of people
have wanted 10 or II or even 13 mil
lion in the Army for this year.
All kinds of details have developed
over where the men will come from,
he said, and these are being talked
over. On the fighting end of things,
he added, we have to have rea-
sonably young men. Most men over
35, he said, are not good for combat
service and can't stand up under
two or three days of marching 80
miles a day.