Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-03-28
Hershey Favors
Placing AIS in
Work Batta|ions
Compulsory Action
Not Needed Now,
McNutt Insists

advocated today by Maj. Gen.
Lewis B. Hershey, selective serv-
ice director, as Paul v. McNutt,
war manpower chairman, told a
House subcommittee that COM
pulSory legislation was no longer
needed.
This conflict in view between the
two high administration officials was
partly mitigated by an earlier state
ment OF Mr.. McNutt that there may
be real merit in the proposal that
some method be devised for direct
ing the services of 4-Fs." He said
this would provide pool of man
power to fill necessary jobs when re-
placements cannot be obtained in
any other way"
Hershey Speaks in Providence.
Gen. Hershey spoke before the
Rhode Island Rotary Club in Provi-
dence, while Mr.. McNutt gave his
testimony before a House Military
Affairs Subcommittee.
In describing his plan for creation
of a work battalion" of ATS, Gen.
Hershey explained how hard pressed
the armed forces are for young
combat manpower. His reiterated
previous statements that every able
bodied young man under rs now de-
ferred in industry except a select
few must be indicted into the armed
forces by July /.
Assurance must be given, he said,
that those rejected remain in their
war Jobs and those who are not in
war work should be placed there as
soon as possible
He said that there were in the Ma
ton about a million and half men
under rs years of age who are CLASH
fled in AZ and deferred for physical,
mental or moral reasons.
Will Press Proposal.
Il am going to insist that some Of
them be taken for service" he said,
and keep on insisting"
I'VE have seen something happen
in the last four or five weeks that
has never happened before. The
Army has particularized-it wants
young men.
Il don't know exactly why the
| Army Is now demanding young men.
but believe it is because they want
infantry requirements who are
young"
The armed forces have come to
the conclusion they want men under
26,'' he said, and are willing to see
a lessening in production in order
to get them.
Only in exceptional cases." he
said, will a man under rs be de-
ferred for 'occupational reasons,
and the country doesn't know yet
what is meant by exceptional"
Costello Seeks Solution.
Chairman Costello of the House
subcommittee had called Mr.. McNutt
with the expressed determination of
solving the manpower problem
within another month" Specifical-
ly, he wanted to find how the newly
created 1nteragency Committee on
Deferments plans to operate.
| Mr.. McNutt admitted he would
have welcomed" national service
legislation 18 months ago. Asked
why he didn't transmit that request
to Congress at the time, he respond
ed that he had been told Congress
didn't want such legislation.
Says Time Has Not Arrived.
Mr.. McNutt said there may come
a time" when legislation similar to
the pending Austin Wadsworth ma
tlonal service bill is necessary, but
ne declared that time had not ar
rived and asserted that the prob
lens proposed to be solved by such
legislation had been met through
voluntary cooperation.
| Il shall come before you if I be-
lieve legislation is necessary" Mr.
McNutt promised. He added "I'd
be silly" to try to predict what future
needs might be.
Mr.. McNutt's statement was in
apparent conflict with President
Roosevelt's recommendation last
January II for national services
law, tied in with four other legis-
lative recommendations, including
"a realistic tax law"
In that message to Congress on
the state Of the Nation, Mr.. Roose-
welt declared national service law,
effective for the duration, would
prevent strikes and, with certain
appropriate exceptions, will make
available for war production or for
any other essential services every
able-bodied adult in this Nation"
McNutt Explains Views.
! Asked specifically if he favored
Legislation to induct 4-Fs and over
age men into the Army for assign
ment to essential industry, Mr..
McNutt said:
Il haven't any objection to it - .
but I'm not here urging it. 7
would urge it if thought it neces-
sary. do not see that it is neces-
Sary as of today"
Last week WPB Chief Donald M.
Nelson suggested that limited ma
tional service legislation, applicable
to the 4-F and average group, would
be helpful in curbing labor turnover
and finding requirements.
Mr.. McNutt said his objection to
national service legislation stemmed
from his conviction that "the Job
has been done" through voluntary
co-operation.
Favors Voluntary Action.
He gave these as his views on COM
pulsory legislation:
I'VE should continue to put the
emphasis upon voluntary and CO.
operative action. We should by all
means preserve the plan for CO.
Operation between MANAGEMENT.
labor and agriculture through com.
mittees representing those interests.
ut would be nothing short of
tragic to throw away the work done
by these committees and set up a
plan of manpower mobilization
which puts the emphasis upon direct
(See MANPOWER, Page A-4)
o Of Thp,n2