Evening star., 1944-06-06
House Battle Looms Over Bill
To Give WASPS Commissions
Civil Service Report Urges Tronng Program
Be Discontinued and Men Flyers BE Utilized

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A fight on the pending Costello
bill to commission WASPS in the
Army Air Forces was indicated
today after the Civil Service
Committee recommended to the
House that recruiting and train
ing of inexperienced women for
the WASPS be discontinued and
the services of experienced men
flyers be Immediately utilized. "
Representative Costello, Demo-
crat, of California said yesterday
the committees report had not al
tered his determination to press for
action when his bill comes up in
the House, probably next week.
The bill places no limit on the
number of WASPS who can be COM
missioned. Gen. H. H. Arnold, chief
of the AAF, has advocated the
eventual use of some $500 women
flyers and a total Of twice that
number has been visualized.
Sentiment In Senate.
At present there is . strong SEN
timent In the Senate as well as
the House, it was said. against a
training program which may cost
500 ,000, 900 at time when thou
sands Of qualified men flyers are
losing their jobs through termina-
ton Of the AAFs contract flying
schools.
In its report to the House late
yesterday. the committee said: "Ihe
proposal to expand the WASPS has
mot been justified. Therefore, 1t
lis recommended that the recruiting
of inexperienced personnel and their
training for the WASPS be immedi-
ately terminated"
The committees report, which was
twice modified from the original,
and passed by the committee yes
terday by a close vote, further
recommended that the use Of
WASPS already trained and IA
training be continued and pro-
vision be made for hospitaHza-
ton and insurance" Some ESQ
WASPS already have graduated
from primary flying school. and
500 others are In school.
Surplus Of Pilots.
A third recommendation by the
committee pointed out that there
exist several surpluses of expert
enced pilot personnel available for
utilization as service pilots. There
fore, it Is recommended that the
service of these several groups Of
experienced air personnel be I'M
mediately utilized
The committees report listed nine
categories containing "an abun-
dance of pilot personnel suscep-
tible to immediate utilization at
less expense than would be pos
sible under the contemplated ex-
pansion Of the WASP program"
Mr.. Costello expressed the opinion
yesterday that the AAF would go
ahead with its plans for training
WASPS whether or not his bill is
passed. The legislation, he said,
merely would remove certain handi-
lcaps under which the women flyers
perform military service while re-
tanning the status of civilian en-
|ployes of the War Department. An
amendment probably will be offered
to authorize acceptance of qualified
men pilots for noncombant duty.
Contention Held startling"
Attacking the AAF plan, the COM
mittee said the contention that 'it
Is now either necessary or desirable
to recruit stenographers, clerks,
school teachers, housewives, factory
workers and other inexperienced
personnel for training at great out
lay OF public funds as pilots for the
military planes of this Government.
particularly when there already ex-
lists surplus of personnel to per-
form, is as startling as it is invalid.
III 1t is necessary at this stage
OF the war to embark upon this
costly experimental program. then
this Nation, insofar as manpower is
concerned, is in worse position
than any of our Allies, and appar-
emily any of our enemies. Fortu-
nately, the evidence presented dur
ing this inquiry demonstrates that
the implied condition is neither
actual nor probable"
While dismissing or failing to
properly utilize" male pilots trained
"at a cost of millions of dollars, :"
the report continued, the AAF is
insisting upon high qualifications
to retain the men and at the same
time lowering the standards for
female civilian recruits to an almost
|irreducible minimum
1t was charged that the program
instead OF alleviating "the alleged
manpower shortage" had further
confused and aggravated" the
problem.
The Investigators, it was said
have been unable to obtain proof
from the War Department as to
specific authorization for the prof.
ect. 1T would appear that
program involving $500 graduate
trainees, at an approximated cost
OF $50 900, 900 of public funds. would
have been of sufficient Importance
to have had the specific authority
Iof Congress-.
The cost of training a WASP to
fly the faster and heavier ships, 1t
was estimated, is about $4,000. It
was pointed out that despite costly
and lengthy training, less than i
per cent of some 532 WASP pilots
are qualified to fly four -engined
bombers and transports.
Recruits Flying Time.
While WASP recruits can be ac-