Evening star., 1944-03-26
Survey Indicates
10
Defer 100000
Nelson Is Confident
Industry Will Solve
Monpower Problem
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.


Requests of war program
heads for deferment of "'irre-
placeable" men under 2e will ex-'
ceed 100000. a survey indicated
yesterday, emphasizing the difii-
cult task confronting the new
Inter-Agency Industry Defer
ment Committee in budgeting
the young men among important
war programs within the tough"
policy laid down by the armed
services.
Manpower Chairman McNutt,
head of the new committee, gave
the agency heads two additional
days in which to assemble pre-
liminary data regarding industries
and. plants for which special de-
ferment consideration sould be
provided.
He said such information together
with estimates of number of de-
ferment requests must be given the
committee by Wednesday. The
group then plans to hold daily
meetings beginning Thursday un-
til it has considered all the thou
sands Of cases.
Unofficial figures showed that
seven Of the nine Government
agencies designated as claimants"
for young manpower would file with
the committee requests for defer
ments totaling approximately 100,-
600. This does not include requests
of the War Food and War Ship
ping Administrations where esti-
mates Of needs were just getting
underway. There were also indica-
tions that some agency figures
might be higher on completion Of
| their studies.
Warns Against Defeatist Attitude
Selective service was understood
to have told the agencies that two
of three of those from % to 26 now
deferred in industry will be required
for combat duty. The total so de-
lferred in the age bracket is placed
lat 243, 1000. This would leave a maxi
mum of $1,000 young men for aIl
industry.
WPB Chairman Nelson, mean
while, warned against q "defeatist
latitude" on the ability OF industry
to maintain essential production
while surrendering additional man.
power to the armed forces. He
wrote Representative Fulbright,
Democrat, of Arkansas, that a num-
Der of highly important industries
having a high proportion of young
men will be particularly hard hit,
including radio, 'xadar, 100-octane
gas and rubber.
Il have confidence that the re-
sourcefulness and ingenuity Of
American industry will measure up
to this new challenge" he said.
1t was considered certain that the
committee would have to pare great
ly the requests of the claimants to
assure the armed forces the re-
quired young fighters. This will be
difficult to accomplish since the
committee is composed entirely Of
claimant agency representatives plus
the War Manpower Commission and
a representative of selective serv-
ice. Observers predicted a dog
fight when the agency heads are
confronted with setting their indi-
vldual manpower quotas.
Survey Of Deferment Requests.
The survey showed deferment re-
quests will shape up in about this
way: WPB. claimant for most OF
the must" programs. including
radio, munitions and ships-5o, 900;
synthetic rubber. including actual
production and all phases of fabrica-
600; Petroleum Administra-
'tttion for War, including 100-octane
gasoline and other refining and pro-
duction needs-2,000; ONCE of De-
fense Transportation, a rough es-
(see MANPOWER, Page A-3J