The southern news., 1944-04-01

of a nationl service law, which
means drafting of labor. No one
else wants it. Industry and labor,
the civilian leaders of orr pro-
duction and manpower programs
all consider a labor draft un-
necessary, dangerous and inimical
to the best interests of the war
effort. But the War and Navy
Departments are insisting upon it,
In wartime is is customary to
assume that the War and Navy
Departments speak with authority.
They know more than anyone else
and they won't tell. 1t is an
enviable position in any argument.
Nevertheless, it is mistake to
assume that because of superior
knowledge and secret information
the military authorities cannot be
guilty of errors in judgment and
action.
The Army Not Immune
And we believe it is also a mis-
take to take the position that in
wartime the War and Navy De-
partments are-or should be-im-
mune to criticism. So here goes
When American became direct
ly involved in this war-and even
before-our nations role in the
conflict was clearly defined by
President Roosevelt. He said tina
this country must become the ar
senal of democracy. 1t was our
function. first and foremost, to
produce the planes, guns, tanks
and ships-to win the battle of
production. Most of the fighting,
it was assumed, would be taken
care of by our Allies who had
millions of troops trained and in
readiness to take the field.
Nevertheless, the War and Navy
Departments Immediately sought
to draft every able-bodied man
into the armed services. They
took millions. They even demand
ed and obtained authority to
draft boys of eighteen. They in
sisted on taking fathers, even when
that meant breaking up homes.
They are now demanding all men
under twenty-siX who have been
deferred because their special
skills are indispensable to war in
dustries-even though such action
may impede war production. To
cover the latter contingency, the
military authorities are demanding
labor conscription.
Today. according to British
Prime Minister CHI rchill, the Am
erican air force in Britain is
greater in size than the British.
Today, according to the same
authority. millions of American
troops are quartered in Britain
Perhaps another million or more
are scattered in Italy, Africa the
West Indies, South America and
in the Pacific.
Nevertheless, our own country
still abounds in men in uniform,
They choke all trains, they flood
the cities. Everywhere one goes
they are in evidence in great num-
bers.
Wasting Manpower
w nat are JueSc SOlUleIS QOlllS
What are they accomplishing to-
ward winning the war in the
shortest possible time? Are they
performing a useful function?
The suspicion grows among such
uniformed persons as ourselves
that the War and Navy Depart
ments are wasting a lot of man
power. We can't help feeling that
the military authorities are losing
sight of the fact that America s
primary function in this war is
to produce. We can't escape the
notion that the War and Navy
Departments are figuring on win
ming this war all by themselves
and that they are proceeding step
by step in a drive to militarize
all America.
Somehow or other America new
er did cotton to militarization. We
have always managed to restrict
our military forces to their own
Cnbara which ic fiC11tino Anar-