The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-28
No Easing
Of Dad Draft
Continued from Page y

number of men would be affected
The report also disclosed that
plans had been made for a complete
denomination Of all 1857, 900 men
in 4-F but had been held up pend
ing the commissions findings. The
commission estimated that from six
to eight per cent of the group would
be found acceptable fro general
service upon reexamination.
The commission was authorized by
Congress in the hope that physical,
mental and moral standards could
be changed enough so that many
of the men in AZ could at least be
placed in limited service jobs o free
more able-boied troops for combat
and thereby ease the drafting OF
fathers.
Appointed by the president it was
headed by Rear Admiral Ross T.
McIntire, Navy surgeon general;
Mai. Gen. Norman r. Kirk, Army
surgeon general; DR.. Alan c. Woods,
chief ophthal1nologist of John Hop
kins Hospital, Baltimore; Dr.. Frank
H. Lahey, chief surgeon Of the
Lahey Clinic, Boston; and Dr.. Ed
ward A. Strecker, professor of pSy-
chiatry at the University Of Penn
sylvania.
The report was made public at
the White House after President
Roosevelt had called for immediate
review Of the cases Of about 5000
900 men deferred for occupational
reasons. He said in O. weekend
memorandum to Hershey that the
government has been "overly lem
lent" in Job deferments, especially
of younger men, and that the armed
services were short approximately
men. Hershey already has ordered
draft board throughout the nation
to review Immediately defermentS Of
all men of military age.
Inspired
Mr.. Roosevelt's action apparently
was inspired by the report Of the
Medical Commission, which on the
basis Of reports from the Army,
Navy and Veterans Administration.
and Hershey, reached these general
conclusions:
/. The physical requirements OF
armed services cannot be reduced
below those prevailing plus changes
recommended by the commission.
without tmpairing the efficiency OF
these services.
2. The services have reached
saturation for newly indicted men
for limited service the need for men
in this category will be fully met
by men already in service who. as
a result of incidents Of the service,
are no longer fit for general serv-
ice.
8. It is evident that the urgent
and increasing need Of the services
today Is for men for general service
and that this need will progressively
increase until the war Is concluded
successfully.
4. It is apparent that these needs
cannot be met by lowering the ply
steal requirements for admission to
the armed forces or by increasing
the induction Of men for limited
service.
The report will be submitted to
congress tomorrow because neither
house Is in session today.
Army spokesman were shown TO
have told the commission that
under the present standards for
general service, the quality Of the
men is lower than desirable. They
pointed out that from Pearl Harbof
to october 81, 1913, q total Of 474, 900
enlisted men were discharged be-
cause Of physical or mental reasons.
OF those discharged during the
second quarter Of 1913. 44.6 per cent
were released because Of iieuropsy-
chiatric disabilities.
Total authorized strength Of the
Army Is 7,70O, 900 but as Of Decem-
Der 81, 1943, the report showed
there was q deficit Of 5000. In the
last four mouths Of 1913 alone, II
was said, inductions fell 21l,OOC
short of planned cali Of e76,O0O.
Even after the Army reaches IL
authorized strength, the report
pointed out, there will be q continti.
ing need for from 5000 TO 100000
per month to replace losses. and
these feplacemente must be quail
fed for combat service.
The Navy told the commission
that u has steadily lowered physical
standards since Pearl Harbor bul
that existing requirements for I'D.
mission cannot be lowered without
impairitig efaciei1cy.
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