Evening star., 1944-03-18
Rubber Director
Sees Disaster in
Draft Demand
Way Must Be Found
To Keep Essential
Workers, Dewey Says
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

Declaring that "any slow-up
might spell national disaster" +"
Rubber Director Bradley Dewey
asserted today that some means
must be found to prevent fur
ther induction into the armed
services of essential chemists,
engineers and skilled operators
If the already tight rubber pro-
gram is to be saved from "un-
necessary failure"
President Roosevelt told his press
conference yesterday that he has
the manpower tug of war between
the armed services and production
officials under study and indicated
that he leaned toward the military
view that virtually all physically fit
men under 26 must be drafted even
though war production suffered.
Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey. selec-
tive service director, was scheduled
to confer with Mr.. Roosevelt TODAY
presumably on the manpower dis
pute.
Many Young Rubber Workers.
Mr.. Dewey made his remarks at a
press conference as a result of the
drlve by the armed forces to obtain
the younger men for combat duty.
A large percentage of highly-trained
technical men. and other skilled
workers in synthetic rubber and
other new industries are under 26.
The effect of Selective Service
raids on rubber technicians, Mr..
Dewey said, would be felt more in
the production of heavy duty mill
tary and commercial tires than In
manufacture of tires for passenger
automobiles. He explained that
heavier types of tires are much more
difficult to make and handle than
the smaller sizes, manufacture of
which he described as a compare
lively simple job.
Mr.. Dewey said fatty that mill
tary demands for rubber cannot be
met II any substantial number of
highly trained young men are taken
from the industry.
Unless steps are taken to stop the
induction of skilled and technically
trained men from the rubber pro-
gram," Mr.. Dewey declared. I'VE will
be unable to meet anything like the
estimates forecast and will fall far
snort OF making estimated require
ments OF heavy-duty tires.
Believes Rubber Deserves Priority.
In the light of the untitled need
for rubber products which has built
up since Pearl Harbor," he con-
tinued, I believe the needs of the
rubber program - warrant the
sacrifice of few young men by the
Army and Navy. Some means must
be found to insure that no further
induction of essential chemists
engineers and skilled operators
brings about the unnecessary failure
OF the rubber program, which is SO
tight that any slowup might spell
national disaster.
cannot conceive" he said. "that
a mechanism will not be found
But as yet none is available, and
men are being lost"
Mr.. Dewey said he did not desire
contlnued deferment for all young
men IN the rubber industry, but
only for those in key positions.
Muscular Men Also Needed.
He said that, in addition to sci
entlStS, the industry had great need
Tor muscular men in the actual
plant handling of heavy military
tires, some of which weigh more
than 300 pounds.
You can't hoist those around
With AIS, military discharges or
women" Mr.. Dewey commented.
Mr.. Roosevelt told reporters YES
terday that it is men under 26 who
nave to carry the burden of the
flghting which still lies ahead in
the war, but war production off,