The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1943-04-22
Army Clarifies Policies
Regarding Farm Labor
Military Units May Be Employed on Crops
During Emergency Situations. Individ-
ual Burroughs Not Contemplated.
BY BAUKHAGE
Ne,Us Analyst and Commentator.

WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, D. C.
Home on a furlough."
I wonder how many Of my read
ers remember that very popular
print Of two Cor maybe more) gen.
erations ago. Well, never mind If
you don't Though I would appreciate
a letter from any who do); home
on a furlough" is going to mean
something quite different now.
remember the original picture
only vaguely. I didn't know what
the word "~furlough' meant. But I
know there was a tousle-headed
blond boy in the middle Of an ad-
miring farm family, telling his ad-
ventures.
Today, the farm boy with a con
science, and the farm family with a
farm. are looking forward to the
~"furlough" that will bring the boy
home for work, not the telling Of his
tales Of adventure.
1t isn't going to be quite that way.
The President, when the farm bloc
was riding the administration its
hardest last month, went into con-
siderable detail as to what was to
be done to solve the farm labor
question. Since then some concrete
steps have been taken but not the
ones the farmers, or some of them,
would have liked. They would have
liked their W sons, or their own
hands. who enlisted because they
simply couldn't stay ''out of the
show" back doing the old chores
they used to do. But this is what
the army said:
The army does not contemplate
furloughing individual soldiers to
work on FARMS" the war department
announced in a statement clarifying
policies and procedures by which
soldiers may be used to alleviate
the farm labor shortage.
World War I experience DEM
onstrated that such temporary re-
leases of individual soldiers were of
little assistance to the agriculture
industry and disrupted the organiza-
ton and training Of the army. If
furloughs were granted for this pur-
pose. neither agriculture nor the
army could be assured that the SOL
diers thus furloughed actually would
be engaged in agricultural activities.
Certain emergency situations
may develop in which vital crops
may be endangered because of crit
ical shortages in local agricultural
labor. In such cases, military units
may be employed under command
Of their w officers to supplement
the local farm labor until the crisis
is over.
Troops so employed will be
housed and fed by the army and will
be subject to military control at all
times.
Requests for use Of military units
for emergency farm duty must be
transmitted to the war department
by the chairman of the War Man.
power commission"
Another Loophole
However, there is another loop
hole which all Of the farmers or the
farm men in service may not know
about. A soldier over SO years of
age who is on active duty in the
continental United States can get his
discharge right now if he can get a
statement from his local farm agent
to the effect that he is needed.
But the application has to get in
by May l. The same thing applies
to men overseas and they have until
June. Dieter tell them by v-Mail.)
The President explained to US
twice. why a batch Of young men
couldn't be pulled out Of a division
and sent home.
You can take 10 or 20 soldiers out
Of an outfit that has Just started
training and it doesn't make much
difference. But you can't take that
many men out Of an outfit already
trained and booked for overseas. Not
without Gripping the outfit so badly
that it really interferes with battle
plans.
That's his explanation and he
made it to us the other day, leaning
back in his chair and obviously try
ing hard to get over an idea that
he believes is right.
There is going to be a land
army" He said he didn't like the
term because it made the farmers
think they we're going to have a lot
Of green city folks descend on them.
He knows what the farmers think
about folks who will scare the
horses. sprain their ankles, try to
milk a COW and when she doesn't
give, say: 1.-THE valves are stuck"