Evening star., 1944-03-25

OluCldlS tIldJ unless the pan met
with unanimous approval of all the
agency heads involved, the defer
ment tangle would have to be
Strengthened out by White House
order. The committee idea then
was approved unanimously, though
some officials were said to have in
dorsed it grudgingly.
Committee to Fix Quotas.
Those on the committee, with ex-
ception Of VINO, the manpower
administrative agency. will be actual
claimants" for deferments. The
permanent arrangement calls for
the war program heads to list with
the committee all of the men under
26 they desire deferred. The COM
mittee then will fix quotas of young
men for each program within the
overall total Of manpower that can
be spared in meeting requirements
of the armed forces.
"As long as We live within the
quota set by the committee we will
be all right" one war program
director commented.
1t was interesting to observers
that Mr.. McNutt referred to creation
OF the committee as expansion of
the VINO" while a WPB executive
said 1t was expansion of the pro-
duction executive committee"
Settlement Aided VINO.
The settlement was held by off,
cials to have saved at least the
face" and possibly the life of Mr..
McNutt's VINO. A previous plan
worked out by the Production Ex-
ecutive Committee, which includes in
Its membership high Army and Navy
officials, left VINO almost complete
ly out Of the picture. In fighting
for the life of his agency, Mr.. Nc
Mutt was said to have gained the
last-minute support of WPB Chair
man Donald M. Nelson.
On the big committee, the Produc-
tion Executive Committee will be the
manpower claimant for all of the
purely war production programs ex-
cept rubber. The fact that Rubber
Director Bradley Dewey gained q
place on the committee was con-
strued as a victory for him.
Production officials actually won
several points in the fight over in
dustrial deferments. They saved at
least a nucleus of the manpower
for the most important programs
and gained voice in selection OF
those to be deferred.
Selective Service Not Bound.
1t was pointed out that selective
service will not be compelled tc
follow the recommendation of the
war program heads or the commit
tee. But, since Gen. Hershey ap-
proved the settlement and will be
on the big committee, it was held
the recommendations will be tanta-
mount to deferral.
Looking toward the permanent
procedure, the claimant" agencies
VIII determine the activities and
plants in their jurisdiction which
should have special consideration
and submit this information to the
new Interagency Committee by
Monday.
The committee will weigh the
recommendations of the agencies
then will designate key activities
and establish quotas for the various
industries. Limited by these quotas
the claimant" agencies through
their representatives in each State
will then recommend to the State
draft directors the names of in.
dividuals for deferment.
No agency pretends that a large
number of men under 26-except
for farm workers, protected by law
will get deferments. The new com.
mittee's announced objective is etc
secure for the armed services all the
able-bodied men" in the 22-through-
rs age group and to limit deferments
only to "those who are fireplace
able and should be reserved to sup
port specifically listed programs"
Even the under-26 farm workers
are subject to intensified review un-
der the new regulations, but the
draft law prevents their induction
unless they fail to produce enough
crops to be classed as full-time es-