Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-04-02
Unit System Strapped
By SeIective Service in.
Deferment Of Farmers
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

ny NllnlAM vi EN- DEhO.
The unit plan for measuring the
eligibility of farmers for draft de-
ferment was withdrawn by selec-
tive service last night, but draft
boards were urged to compare avail
able sources of farm manpower with
the limited sources of young men
from which suitable requirements
for the Army and Navy can be
drawn"
Elimination of the unit yardstick
came just six weeks after selective
service had doubled-from 8 to 10
the number of units a farmer had
to produce to be considered for
draft deferment and just a month
after President Roosevelt said the
Nation was well equipped in food
=" and that the time had come
to strike new balance"
Farm organizations, in protesting
the unit increase. had estimated
that it would result in induction OF
half the 1,722 900 now-deferred farm
workers.
Elimination of the unit system,
which had been in effect since late
1912, was predicted by Senator Rus
sell, Democrat, of Georgia, last
week. Draft boards will now rely
solely on the provisions of the
Tydings m n m t, deferring
farmers who are necessary to and
regularly engaged in agriculture.
While a selective service official
predicted that some boards would
defer more farmers and other boards
fewer farmers as result Of the
new order. high official interested
in procuring military manpower
predicted that scrapping the unit
plan meant a loosening up Of farm
deferments with further inroads
being made on industrial manpower
It was learned, meanwhile, that
the War Department is preparing an
answer to the recommendations
made by the Costello Subcommittee
on Draft Deferments to use the
threat of induction as method of
forcing 4-F's into essential work.
War Boards Reply Awaited.
The subcommittee had asked the
War Department to take immedi-
ate steps without legislation to
channel AIS into war activities and
to recommend appropriate legisla-
ton. The departments answer, 1t
was said, will be ready early this
week.
In the telegram to draft boards
on farm deferments last night,
draft officials were directed to re-
port to State selective service head
quarters the names of any farmer
who is physically disqualified for
military service or acceptable only
for limited service and leaves his
farm work. The telegram did not
specify, however, what action State
headquarters would take against
such farmers.
One hint of how draft boards
ultimately may be instructed to
sort out the AIS in war work was
contained in the telegram. Men
acceptable for limited service and
4-Fs who are now in farm work or
go to farms will be reclassified to
&c. Boards were instructed to
identify these physically handi-
capped farmers by attaching an
81" 0imited service) or an "F'.
disqualified for any military serv-
ice) to the &c classification-a
new method of handling 4-Fs.
Physically Fit in Demand.
In considering physically fit
farmers for deferment, draft boards
were urged to apply strictly" the
provisions of the Tydings Amend
ment with fun consideration Of the
extreme need for men, particularly
for physically fit young men in the
armed forces"
Although revoking the unit sys-
tenn, national selective service
headquarters said the review of de-
ferred farmers under rs, ordered
March "a, still applied. Latest Sc
lective service figures show approx
imately $4,000 deferred farmers
under %.
Made public earlier yesterday was
a message from Selective Service
Director Lewis B. Hershey to the
draft boards in which he reminded
them that military calls had not
been met because it was necessary
to build up adequate stocks of food
and munitions, but that now indus
try and agriculture must make the
adjustments suggested by the de-
mands upon them"
I'VE must meet our calls not only
as a matter of duty but as an act
of patriotism" he said. 1--WE must
meet them fairly, honestly and pa
triotically and without regard for
criticism that does not rest upon
the same principles"
Aid to Blind Sought
Government grants to blind per-
sons are now advocated in Northern