Evening star., 1944-03-31
DRAFT Board Lists
OF 4-Fs in War Jobs
Proposed by keesIin!
By MIRIAM OTTENBERG.

HIUuliSlIlB JIldt OeleCtlVe service
Director Hershey will follow the
recommendation of the Costello
Subcommittee in sorting out the
4-Fs not now contributing to the
war effort, Col. Francis v. Keesling
of selective service today proposed
the posting of a "4-F honor list in
draft boards to let every community
know which 4-Fs are doing their
patriotic duty"
He made ii clear, however, that
this form of community pressure
would have to be backed up by the
threat of induction into the armed
forces for those who do not 60 into
war work.
Col Keesling told the House Mill
tary Affairs Subcommittee at its
final pre-recess hearing that Selec-
tive Service could quickly gather
from the files of the draft boards
which of an estimated 5000 900 men
now in 4-F. discharged from the
Army. or likely to go into 4-F soon,
are now making their war contri-
button.
Detailed Estimates Not Available.
Pointing out that no plant-by-
plant estimate Of manpoWer re-
quirements is now available, Col.
Keesling agreed with Chairman
Costello that the new inter-agency
committee now screening defer
ments of men under 26 would de-
termine how many ATS are needed
by every war plant.
When the draft boards have that
information, he said, they will be
able to direct the 4-Fs in their COM
munity in a selective basis to near
by jobs in the war effort. He pro-
posed that the draft boards post
lists of 4-Fs with a star beside the
name of each one who has gone into
war work. The effect of that list
on the community would force a
number of 4-Fs into essential jobs,
he predicted.
Col. Keesling agreed with Repre-
sentative Sparkman, Democrat of
Alabama that the entire 4-F pro-
gram would not work without the
cooperation of the War Depart
ment, and that this was "the last
resort"
Secretary of War Stimson told q
press conference yesterday that the
War Department preferred national
service legislation and would con-
slider work corps of 4-Fs within
the Army only as last resort.
Report for February.
Col. Keesling also gave the sub
committee a report on draft board
actions during February. These
major points were brought out:
The draft boards took nearly s.
600, 900 classification actions during
February-the most activity along
this line since the winter of 1923
OF the 10000 men drafted during
the month. $4,000 we're fathers,
bringing the total number of drafted
fathers to 215,000.
Men with occupational deferments
other than agriculture now make up
the largest deferred group, with a
total of 3,677, 900 now in IA and 2-B.
Including agriculture, deferments
for occupational reasons increased
by more than half a million in
February, and reached a new high
of $500 ,000-or slightly less than
half of the Nations 1887 manpower
pool not in the armed forces.
OF those with occupational defer
ments. approximately 574,000 are
men under 26 years of age, of whom
$50 900 are non-fathers.
OF the 1,722,000 deferred in agri-
culture. approximately $4,000 are
under 26, of whom $4,000 are non
fathers.
$780, 900 Inductions.
A total of 1,147,000 fathers lost
their dependency deferments during
the month. Two-thirds of the men
now in Glass Ia are fathers. AS
of March /, a total of 9,502 ,O0O
men had been drafted OF
had enlisted in the armed forces.
Commenting on the War Depart
ment's preference for national serv-
ice legislation, as expressed by Sec
retary Stimson. Chairman Costello
said before today's hearing that an
effort would be made by the SUBJ
committee to modify the various 4-F
proposals until feasible program
can be worked out.
Mr.. Costello gave this picture o1
what he believes Selective Service
should do until legislation can be
worked out:
Within the 4-F class, there could
be four sub-classes. Into 4-F-1
would go the non-fathers not now
engaged In essential work. Into
4-F-2 would go the fathers in the
same position. Into 4-F-3 would go
the men now making contribution
to the war effort and into 4-F-4
would 60 those not qualified for war
work because of the extent of their
disability.
SAuJCCe W fASSlS UuCuts
II the men remained in 4-F-l,
they would be subject to assignment
by their draft board to war work
and, If they refused, would 60 into
a work corps in the Army.
The list of activities into which
the men could go, Mr.. Costello ex-
planned, could be drawn up by Sc
lective service or the new inter-
agency committee now working on
deferments of men under Is.
The legislator added, however,
that AIS could be treated more
"leniently" than physically fit draft
eligibles. He pointed out that with
the physically fit men, draft boards
had to compare their contribution
in civilian life with what they could
do in the Army whereas with 4-Fs
it was exclusively a question of
whether or not they were promoting
the war effort.
Draft boards, he said, would not
be expected to tap the group of men
with such serious physical handi-
caps that they would require long
restraining if they were removed
from the work they are now doing.
Boats Sunk, |