Evening star., 1944-02-27
President criticizes
Leniency Shown to
Men Under rs @s
BY MIRIAM OTTENBERG.

Carrying out orders from
President Roosevelt, Selective
Service Director Lewis B. Her.
shey last night instructed draft
boards to review all occupational
deferments with particular at
tention to deferred men under
26 years of age.
No changes in regulations were
carried in Gen. Hershey's instruc-
tions, but selective service spokes-
man predicted sharp Tightening
up of all deferments for men under
rs and a scrutiny" of the defer
ments of the older men.
The President, in a memorandum
to Gen. Hershey and War Manpower
Chief McNutt yesterday, ordered the
review with view to speedily max
ing available the personnel required
by the armed forces"
Pool Dangerously Depleted"
Mr.. Roosevelt declared the Ma
tion's manpower pool has been
dangerously depleted by liberal de-
ferments and I am convinced that
in this respect we have been overly
lenient particularly IN regard to the
younger men,"
Pointing out that selective service
has failed to deliver the quantity
Of men expected, the President said
the present ALLEGATIONS to the armed
forces cannot be further reduced
"and there is very real danger in
our failure to supply trained re-
placements at the time and in the
numbers required"
The overall review is the third
effort of this kind selective service
has made recently to make up the
200 000-man deficit in armed forces
inductionS referred to by Mr.. Roose-
welt. Industrial deferments of men
under % were virtually eliminated
in an order effective February and
draft boards have been ordered to
review all agricultural deferments,
using much higher standard Of
farm production as the minimum
requirement for deferment.
Time to Strike New Balance.
The President declared the time
had come to strike a new bal
pcov ~, ellocot;pr v,,ar q, ~, S,,~<,1,
agriculture and armed forces.
Pointing out that as a result OF
the failure of draft boards to meet
calls I'VE are forced to emasculate
college courses and trained divisions
and other units" the President pre-
dicted the Army would not reach
its planned January strength until
some time in April, or later, if the
shortage continues.
The President asserted that over
aged men, 4-Fs, returned service
men and the women of the Nation
must be used more effectively to
replace the able-bodied men in crit
ical industry and agriculture.
Gen. Hershey left the job of re-
viewing nearly 100000 occupa-
tional deferments in the hands of
the local boards. He told them to
apply existing regulations, instruc-
ticns and information in the light
of the Presidents memorandum,
giving particular attention to reg
istrants under rs years of age in
view of the Presidents statement
that agriculture and industry should
release the younger men for mill
tary service"
No distinction was made between
fathers and nonfathers in Gen.
Hershey's memorandum. Asked
about that, Selective Service
spokesman said the President had
made no distinction. Actually, the
President mentioned nonfathers only
in reporting that industrial defer
ments included more than 1,000, 900
nonfathers, of whom 100000 are
under 26 years of age
Interpretations of the President S
action ranged from opinions that it
was another gesture in the direction
OF national service to the idea that
1t was an effort to ease the father
draft.
A District draft spokesman said
(see DEFERMENTS, Page A-5J