Evening star., 1943-03-28
Labor Draft
imperative Necessity
By OUen l.. Scott.

An increasingly difficult period in the
war lies just ahead for the people of this
country. During this period war will
become much more real and it's demands
very much more severe
The latest efforts to avoid the reality
OF modern war are now being made in
Congress. There is an attempt to block
the building of big army. Ways are
being sought to check or to delay the
drafting of this or that group of men.
A search is under way for painless taxes.
While Congress is making what will be
vain search for methods of cushioning
war shocks, industry is drawing down
the last of the Nations unemployment
reserves. The draft is soaking up the
last of the single men and of married
men without children. Storekeepers are
finding it more and more difficult to re-
industry is finding 1t more and more
difficult to replace raw material inven-
tories.
At the same time, large American
forces are in position to start fight in
many parts Of the world. While getting
into position, fighting the initial fights,
the American Army and Navy and ait
forces lost fewer than 5000 men killed
in fighting during 1912.
Now all is to be different. The period
OF "sitzkrieg'' and of 'phony war; has
about run out for the United States
1t is no secret that the Army is making
its calculations on the basis of about
100000 requirements a month, large
proportion occasioned by wounds and
deaths in battle Secretary of the Navy
Frank Knox has told Congress that the
Navy is making it's plans on the basis
of casualties reaching 10 per cent of
total forces.
AS present reserves of single men and
childless married men are used up it is
to be necessary to start the draft of
fathers on a large scale. This draft
probably will start in May or June and
will bring with it many problems in
volved in assuring that dependents are
cared for adequately. At the same time,
the needs of war industry for men are
Government to use its power to shift
men from non-War industry.
During April, many men in jobs classed
by the Government as mon -deferrable"
will be moving out of those jobs into war
jobs as the alternative to immediate
Army service. This will be the start of
work fight" policy which will de-
velop during 1943 into one of the Gov
ernment's most important policies and
into one of the influences that will do
most to bring the war home to people.
At the time when fighting is underway
on steadily expanding scale, the people
at home will be running up against
scarcities of goods and food. They will
find that their greatly expanded income
will not assure them the enjoyment that
they now are expecting. During this
period Congress will tend to get away
from the present idea that its main job
is to try to make everybody rich who
manages to stay out Of the military
service.
1t is entirely possible that before the
end of 1943 this country will be forced
to accept a draft of labor for war fac
tories as we'll as men for the Army and
Navy.
Of all the things that will bring home
to the American people the seriousness
Of the war, the labor draft is likely to be
the most important All other indus
trial nations at war have been forced to
turn to a national service act as the
! means for solving the problem of man
power shortage that is inherent in a
big-scale war. The United States is try
ing to create a military force propor-
tionately comparable in size to the forces
of Britain, Germany and Russia. Yet
this country is trying to accomplish this
feat while allowing individuals to decide
for themselves where their skjls are to
be used.
A labor draft is the one means of
assuring that the Nations supply OF men
is utilized effectively to promote the war
effort. Through the use of this draft,
the Government can decide exactly who
shall do the fighting and who shall do
the working. 1t then can decide where
those who are left behind to do the
working must actually work.
Through a national service act the
Government completes it's machinery for
mobilization. Yet the break with busi-
ness usual and work-asu usual is so
great when the right to draft labor is
established that the President wants to
avoid its use Just as long as possible.
Manpower officials, however, doubt that
it can be avoided much beyond 1943, if
that long
With the power to tell every man
and they tell every woman as well in
other countries-Where he shall work,
the Government can assure that effort
is not wasted on large, scale in fields
OF production and distribution that are
non-essential to the war effort. On that
kind of basis, the United States could
create an Army and Navy of the size now
planned without much strain. The
strain, however, would be felt by indi-
viduals who would be forced to leave
work regarded as non-essential and to
enter work classed as essential
During 1943 the problem of manpower
will become the Nations foremost prob
lem. 1t is the problem that grows more
intense the longer the war lasts and the
one that cannot be lodged by any acts
OF Congress or of the Executive When
every individual becomes convinced that
he cannot make good thing out of the
war. then the country as a whole will
tend to settle down to the task of getting