The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-04-10

trolls. Today the White House favors
national service legislation and the
manpower boys are saying that the
country can get by without it.
Politically you might think the
chances for any general national
service legislation being passed be-
fore the elections would be nil On
the other hand, there Is some opin-
ion that when the invasion Of Eur
ope begins and the casualty lists pile
up, the country and Congress will be
thoroughly alarmed and will pass
national service legislation in a
! hurry. ignoring political consider
ationS.
This last argument may be in the
nature Of trying to persuade Con-
gress to take action Immediately.
But the reluctance of Congress to
rush through any national service
legislation now Is perfectly under
standable, for there is perhaps less
agreement on this subject than on
any issue in Washington.
WHY ALL THE HUBBUB?
The bitterness Of the fight over
men of 20 ana under who have been
deferred because they are in essen
tial industris would seem to be al,
out Of proportion to the number Of
men involved. There are less than a
million such men, 100000 on farms,
100000 in industry. If Selective
Service averages on reflections would
apply, over third would be found
unfit for military service.
Employers are still too prone to
hoard physically acceptable men,
industrialists are wanting to keep
their young technicians. farmers are
wanting every man they can get.
Yet If the armed forces say they
need these men for active service,
who can dispute II? This comes
first. 1t should be made clear. how
ever, that these men are needed as
requirements and not as additional
manpower requirements. The goals
Of 100000 men for the Army and
100000 for the Navy, set for at
tainment by July /, still stand. The
Army program Is understood to be
up or ahead Of schedule. The Navy
program lags little, partly because
ships have been built and put In
service faster and in greater num-
berS than had been believed pos
sible. Quotas Of men being asked for
by the services now are to replace
battle casualties and men discharg-
ed from active service for other rea-
sons. Even after the 10000, CONAN
goal Is reached, requirements will
still be necessary.
THE MANPOWER SUPPLY
IS ADEQUATE
On the home front, the war pro-
duction front, goals have all been
met. Even farm goals. In munitions
industries, over 100000 men have al
ready been laid off. There are only
four tight industries insofar as
manpower requirements are con-
cerned-coal mining, logging, lum-
bering and railroading. Nationally,
the supply Of manpower Is adequate,
though in specific localities and in
dividual factories or industries the
+, supply may be short.
Moving the surplus men and won-
en- to the shortage areas takes man.
aging. but to say that this country
Of 135,000,000 people faces man.
power crisis with a breakdown Of
the civilian services Is much like the
other attempts to make crisis out OF
the draft Of pre-Pearl Harbor faith
ers or Of l8~years-olds.
In achieving this management Of
manpower, War Manpower Com
missioner Paul v. McNutt, who is at
the center Of all these crisis. takes a
good bit Of kicking around. SO much
so that one wag the other day NOM
mated the governor for the order Of
the purple bottom.