Evening star., 1944-03-30
|Stimson Agrees
ToLabor Corps
|As Last Resort
Prefers Patterson Plan
On Use Of 4-Fs;
Work Begun on Bill

Secretary of War Stimson said
today that it was essential to
draw At men into the war ef-
fort, but that he would accept
their induction into the Army
as a labor corps only as a last
resort.
He expressed his opinions as to
methods for making best use of all
the Nations manpower as the Co.'S
teilo subcommittee of the House
Military Affairs Committee aban-
doned plans for an Easter vacation
and began drafting legislation to
surround an estimated million 4-Fs
not now engaged in war work with
statutory controls.
The committee is working under
the spur of a request from the War
and Navy Departments that some
thing be done Immediately to find
requirements for younger occupa-
tlonally-deferred men needed for
combat duty. The problem is to find
suitable method of forcing all
capable AIS into war work.
Agrees With Patterson.
Along this line, Mr.. Stimson said
at his press conference that he
agreed with the position of Under
secretary of War Patterson that
AIS should be legislated directly
into essential industry and not TAX
en- into the Army, saying Il do not
|
should be taken by indirection and
by induction into the Army of men
not qualified to serve in the Army"
The Secretary emphasized very
strongly" his belief that national
service legislation is the best solu-
ton OF the manpower problem, but
that in any case Congress should
deal with the matter in new legis-
lation, not requiring the Army to
induct physically unqualified men
for assignment to war jobs as a
labor battalion.
L don't like that at ALL" said Mr..
Stimson. But, as I said, the final
decision is in the hands of Con-
gress."
Objective Unchanged,
The Secretary reported the Army's
manpower objective of 100000 has
not been changed, but the fact that
the Army is still approximately
100000 short of this goal and that
selective service has not produced
enough new men on schedule has
forced shifts of personnel within the
Army.
These shifts included transfer of
$4,000 men from the Air Forces to
the Ground and Service Forces, re-
ductlon OF the Army college pro-
gram, substitution of civilians for
soldiers in some activities in the
United States and reduction of a
number of Army activities in this
country.
On Capitol Hill, Mr.. Costello,
Democrat, of California, who heads
the Military Affairs Subcommittee.
told reporters that, I'VE hope to
have a bill ready after the recess.
We are going to sit during the re-
cess, and will ask the War Depart
: ment to help us draft the legisla-
, ton"
Predicting prompt action by both
. the Senate and the House. Mr..
Costello said he believed the legis-
lation should provide for control Of
the activities not only of the 4-Fs
between 18 and 81, but also of 4-Fs
, up to As and of non-fathers between
38 and As.
Replacement Big Problem.
ut is apparent that the armed
services now must have as many as
possible of the younger men now
deferred because they are in essen
tlal jobs he declared The prob
. lem is to find requirements for them
r and the large numbers of ATS in un-
r essential activities is big pool from
which we can draw"
Ultimately, he added. the armed
, forces presumably will insist on
! taking only men under 81 for gen.
. eral service. retaining control over
: the older men by exercising power
: to put them into labor battalions if
/ they fail to go into essential jobs.
AS evidence that there is a vast
pool OF labor available but untouch-
! able now among the ATS, MIR. Cos
S tello cited testimony given the COM
: mittee yesterday by Mr.. Patterson
100000 Declared Available.
t Mr., Patterson, advocating legis-
S lation to conscript AIS who won't
f take essential jobs, said there were
2 3,500,000 AIS between 18 and 81
1 approximately 100000 of them are
e qualified to take industrial jobs to
:, release younger men, he said.
e Many of them are contributing
nothing that is of material assist
(See MANPOWER, Page A-4J