Evening star., 1945-01-08
Work Or Fight Law
Hearings May Start
I'm House Tomorrow

Congress buckled down today
to find q cure for the war plant
|manpower problem, with the
House Military Affairs Commit
tee preparing to open hearings,
possibly tomorrow, on q bill to
force 4-Fs either into essential
work or Army labor battalions.
The bill, introduced by Chairman
May, follows President Roosevelt's
suggestion for full war utilization
OF the Nations 1000, 900 4-Fs. This
White House proposal Immediately
received widespread congressional
backing and appeared the most
likely one Of the Roosevelt man
power recommendation to become
law.
Nurse Draft Proposal Criticized.
Mr.. Roosevelt,s new appeal for 4
national service law already had
encountered strong opposition and
any chances Of getting such lcgis-
lation by Congress seemed poor.
There also was strong Capitol crit
Iicism of the Presidents suggestion
regarding q draft of nurses for the
armed services, as well as of his
call for compulsory peacetime mill
tary training.
Before taking any action on the
nurse draft, Mr.. May said, the COM
mittee probably will hear Maj. Gen
Norman T. Kirk, Army surgeon
general.
1--WE must consider also the effect
q draft Of nurses would have on the
civilian health situation" Mr.. May
said. adding that he favored a draft
only "as . last resort"
Representative Bolton, Repub-
lican, of Ohio, author of much nurs-
ing legislation, including that which
created the Cadet Nurse Corps, ex-
pressed fear the threat Of draft
law might slow down volunteering
of nurses.
Would Affect All l-Fs.
Announcement that the Army was
ready to lower physical standards
to take care Of essential "joh
skippers" previously held unfit fol-
military service, seemed to pave the
way for the more inclusive May
legislation. The selectiye service
announcement regarding job-skip-
ping AIS included only those up to
SO years with deferments, but the
May bill would affect all 4-Fs up to
IS years old, including those now
in nonessential work.
The Army previously strongly op-
posed any plan to lower physical
standards for establishment Of labor
battalions to catch rejected draft
lregistrants who refuse war jobs
Now that precedent along that
line has been set, it was pointed
out, machinery will be prepared to
enforce the May bill.
Demands were voiced in Congress
meanwhile, that the administration
make greater use of its existing
powers in meeting the war man.
power problem while the Legislators
work out new measures.
Senator Taft, Republican, Ohio
said he thought the administration
could make more extensive use OF
employment ceilings on less essen
tial plants.
The view that any steps necessary
can be carried out within the frame
work Of existing legislation also was
expressed by Senator Kilgore,
Democrat, Of West Virginia.
Others See Need for Law.
But others, including Senators
Hayden, Republican, of Arizona and
Bailey, Democrat, Of North Carolina,
declared the need for q national
service act was apparent.
Despite the wide differences In
views as to what is needed, the col
lective attitude was that Congress
will enact what it finds to be really
required to back up the armed
forces. Senator Bailey put it this
way:
We've got our young men abroad.
We've got to supply them with every
thing they need If they want
nurses, we've got to give them
nurses. If they want guns or tanks
or planes, we've got to give them
guns, tanks and planes"
Senator Bailey has introduced q
measure similar to Mr.. Mays in the