Evening star., 1944-10-29

william T.. Leany. District Selec.
tive Service director, issued a state.
ment last night explaining why ht
wants to keep seven District draft
boards in their persent quarters al
1924 H street NV.
The boards have been asked te
vacate to permit the expansion OF
the Junior Officers Club. which
occupies part of the space in the
H street building.
So far, the District Commissioners
have been unable to locate other
quarters for the boards. The Com
missioners suggested the former po-
lice headquarters building at 4G2
Indiana avenue, but it was found
the space there already has teen
assigned More recently, the Public
Buildings Administration suggested
the old Atlantic Hotel a. Sol Penn
sylvania avenue NV. Mr.. Leahy
expressed his dissatisfaction with
that location.
His statement follows in part:
Il have no desire to enter into
any controversy with any one or
the necessity of moving these locaI
boards. Neither should l like to
see the discussion confused to ar
issue between Selective Service fol
the District of Columbia and the
Junior Officers Club. There is nc
such issue. No one connected with
Selective Service has objected al
any time to the very best being
given to any officer of our armed
forces anywhere or at any time. The
/ pebble in the shoe is still there
however, because Washington is
perhaps the most congested area
/ in the country right now for any
available space for essential Gov.
ernment activities, let alone the ex-
pansion of ancillary welfare service
no matter how desirable or com
mendable
Our objection here at this head
quarters to request these boards tt
vacate either 1922 or 1924 H street
NV, or both of these premises, al
this time is that there is not one
square foot of decent space avail
able for them to occupy. Our loca
boards have been housed for the
past few years, with few exceptions
in space which they have beer
forced to take because there wa.
nothing else to be found for them
They have worked in crampec
quarters and carried on under con.
ditions so adverse that if it was moi
for the downright willingness Of
some of our finest citizens and oul
clerks to put up with anything just
to do their bit, there would not
have been a chance for Selectivt
Service to operate here at all.
This headquarters has beer
called upon again and again fo
office equipment, repairs, the or
binary comforts, usual and neces
sary, for the efficient operation O
any office only to report our in
ability to meet those requests be-
cause of priorities, lack of available
funds or of supplies. We have neve
been able to keep the necesSar,
complement of personnel in the fac,
of the salary competition of Gov
ernment departments. 1t. has no
been easy, this job of filling tn,
armed forces with our quotas from
our District here, yet every man ant
woman carried on, handicaps ant
hardships Notwithstanding; nobod,
really satisfied, many complaining
but they always carried on. The,
remembered those boys in the TO,
holes and the mud, wrapped a few
more newspapers around their leg
to keep the fly bites down and {
handkerchief around their forehead
SO the sweat wouldn't roll down int
their eyes and on their papers ant
went to work, and kept working
These are not fairy tales.
These are facts, and we are no
looking for any sympathy either
We just wish to be given a chanc,
to do our job and we will do it ever
II it is from a wastebaSket or /,
stable with such men and womer
as have stuck to Selectiye Servic,
in this city in their devotion to dut,
and genuine love of country.
TT is not that these same meI
and women do not wish young off
GERS to have a comfortable club il
which to rest and relax. They do
They will vote for that any time
1t is only that they want some plac,
in which they can work, continue t,
work, and still work, now especial,
in order to give back to the soldie
they helped to make and send ava,
his old job again when he return
or assist him in getting new one O.
give him real hand in helping hin
to readjust.
/ I'VE asked for Seventeenth and
streets NV, not because of its com
/ forts. It had none. 1t was near t,
many Of the local board members