Evening star., 1944-05-12
|AII US. Workers
Over 29 Eligible
IFor.Deferrrlent
Same Treatment
Given Men in Privute
Jobs Promised
GUIDE TO HOW new policy affects
your draft status. Page A-A
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

By MIRIAM GUTENBERG.
All Government workers TODAY
we're promised the same treat
ment under the new draft regu-
lations as men in private indus
try, with those 80 and over eligi-
BILE for indefinite deferment, re-
gardless of their particular Jobs,
and necessary men" In the
26-29 age bracket deferred "for
the time being"
Acting promptly after the new
regulations became effective today.
the Puryear Committee on defer
ment of Government workers an
nounced that Government agencies
will be permitted to send "occupa-
tional classification FORMS to local
boards for all Government men 30
and over, giving them the evidence
necessary to classify the men In 2-A.
The Puryear Committee will exer-
else the power of reviewing what
amounts to requests for the defer
|ment Of the older Government
workers. butt will not pass on them
before they go to the local boards.
New Forms Rushed.
Cases of men in the 1928 age
bracket will continue to go through
the Puryear Committee, which viii
apply the same necessary man.
standards as those covering private
industry.
MIR. Puryear said the new forms
were being rushed to the, printers
and should be ready within a few
days SO that Government men viii
not be inducted for lack of evidence
to support their deferment.
The status of the 100000 men over
Is in Government previously had
been uncertain because of the sep
arate law covering them, but Sc
lectiye Service Director Hershey had
said he hoped Government men
could be treated the same as those
in private industry.
An earlier step in that direction
was taken yesterday when the Inter
agency Committee which has been
screening deferments Of men under
26 gave the Puryear COMMITTEES au-
thority to request the defermerlt. Of
men under IS in Government who
meet the criteria set up by the
Iriteragency COMMITTEES. Previously.
no arrangement had been made for
their deferment.
Instructed to Review LAS.
AS the new regulations went In
effect, draft boards were instructed
to review the cases of all men in
the upper-age brackets now in LA
ito eliminate avoidable uncertainty
on the part of registrants and EN-
ployers."
Because of the wider range of
activities in which men can be de-
ferred and the elimination of the
requirement that men 80 and over
had to be necessary men" on their
jobs to warrant deferment, it was
expected that most of the older men
now in la would 60 into the de-
ferred classification.
Employers were advised by Gen.
Hershey to file fresh claims for
the deferment of their older men.
although the draft boards can grant
deferments without a new formal
request.
Tight clamps remained on the de-
ferment of men under 26. Selective
service is counting on this group to
fill the major part of the draft calls
for the next six months.
Effect of New Regulations.
Generally, the new draft regula-
tions have the effect of lifting the
month-old ban on calling men over
25 in essential activities. On the
other hand, men in some States who
already had been ordered to report
for induction may be turned back
because the broadening of the
essential activities definition now
may cover their cases. Men will not
be turned back in the District, how
ever, since the ban here covered all
men over Is.
Determination of whether a. man
Is contributing to the national
health, safety or interest"-the new
yardstick for deferment-is left en-
tirely to the local boards for men
over Is, but now the employment
situation in local community will
play an important part in that de-
ciSion.
Draft boards were told that the
new occupational deferment policies
should release large numbers of
younger. physically fit men for mill
tary service and, at the same time,
provide for the deferment of greater
numbers of men to engage in activi-
ties in ear production or in support
OF the national health, safety or in
terest who are in tlG older age
groups or are in the younger age
(See DRAFT, Page A-4)