Evening star., 1944-03-20
Production Men Warn
Stays Must Be Held
Ito Must Industries
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

| A warning of the danger to the
war effort involved in cancelling
draft deferments of young men in
industries other than those cur
rently rated as must" was issued
today by high production official
as war leaders awaited formal word
from President Roosevelt In the
industrial deferment controversy.
| The official pointed out that COM
bat experience frequently changes
Overnight the Importance with which
a particular program is regarded,
and a munition that is far down the
essential list this week might be
lifted near the top next. AS ex-
amples of the shifting emphasis on
weapons, he cited landing craft and
military trucks, which suddenly
were raised high up among must"
programs
Mr.. Roosevelt, it was believed, will
go along with the agreement report
edly worked out between military
and production officials for con-
tinued deferment for a few key men
under 26, needed to keep the most
| Important war industries operating
efficiently. 1t was understood he told
the production men that if they
could obtain military approval to a
slight easing of his tough deferment
review order of February 26 to Selec-
tive Service, it would be agreeable to
him. The President has promised
his opinion early this week.
Great Care Necessary.
The production official said great
care must be exercised in selecting
the industries and plants to receive
preferential draft treatment for
young men lest some program be
overlooked. At the same time, the
number of those under 26 to be de-
ferred must be kept small, or the
Army and Navy, badly in need Of
young men for combat duty, will
withdraw support, he added. An
overall figure of 10000 men has been
used, though it is only a rough guess.
All discussions so far among Of
ficials as to composition OF the crit
ical" activity list have been CEN
tered on a few manufacturing in
dustries, including aircraft, aviation
gasoline, synthetic rubber, electron-
les and landing craft. This has
caused great alarm among such in
dustries as railroads and mining,
which are not directly concerned
with making war goods, but are,
nevertheless, hard-pressed for man
power. The situation among those
industries will become particularly
desperate if the report Is true that
the mo deferment" policy will be
raised to all registrants up to 80
years old.
Others Can Expect to Help.
Of1cials said there was no hope
Of giving further deferment help to
the large number of civilian in
dustries which have been regarded
highly in the past as necessary to
the morale and efficiency Of the
home front. Among industries in
this category are intracity trans
portation, other utilities, laundries
and other such services.
The War Production Board Is
fearful the new draft policy will
deal crippling blow to the textile
industry, which because Of man.
power shortages has been unable
to produce up to schedule. The
shortage Of clothing is particularly
acute in lower-cost items and an
industry-wide program to increase
output was only recently started.
Shipbuilding, 1t was understood,
will be included among the pre-
feiTed industries and the Navy was
expected to ask deferment for ap-
proximately 1000 young men In its
shipyards. There was no estimate
of the number of deferments to be
asked for the privately operated
yards.