Evening star., 1945-04-06

Servicemen Are Able
To Find Own Way Into
Civil Life, He Says
Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, selec-
tive service director, predicted today
that most veterans will find their
way back into civilian life If Gov
eminent, labor and management
will let them alone"
Addressing q two-day national
employment conference sponsored
by the American Legion, Gen.
Hershey said he was getting tired"
OF hearing Government plans that
indicate that if it didn't lead vet.
Grams by the hand they would get
lost"
He cautioned Government labor
and management officials attending
the conference to be careful to han
Ole only problems that wouldn't be
taken care of otherwise and to leave
alone those that will take care of
themselves.
Replies to Labor Charges.
Responding to charges made
earlier in the day by spokesmen
for organized labor that selective
service Interpretation of veterans
re-employment rights gave return
ing servicemen "supersenioritv,
Gen. Hershey said he thought the
worst thing that could be done for
veterans was to make them think
that the world owed them a living
and that they don't have to work.
But, he added, he didn't believe
That because they went to war and
others stayed at home the door Of
employment should be closed to the
veterans.
He gave these three conclusions:
l. That the unemployment pro-
visions of the Selective Service Act
have to be administered as they are
or changed by Congress.
2. That to the extent possible
veterans should be given every con-
sideration for the time they were in
service.
3. That the veteran who can Solve
his own problem should not be re-
Stricted by laws or labor agreements.
Charge Seniority Disregarded.
Speaking for the AFL, Rfoert J.
Watt, international representative,
contended the selective service in
|
would give the veteran who worked
six months in plant before enter
ing service a superior status to work.
ers employed for 20 years, even over
that of World War veterans
He predicted that if veterans are
given preference regardless of SEN
iority other groups will seek prefer
ence-single women against married
women, men with dependents
against men without dependents
and ultimately veterans with over
seas service against veterans who
never left the country.
Declaring veterans interests would
be served better if there was less
talk about preference and more
about full employment. Mr.. Watt
warned that veterans cannot hope
to maintain an island of security in
a flood of unemployment
Labor Wants New Interpretation.
Clinton S. Golden, chairman OF
the CIO Veterans Committee,
pointed out that the rights of 3,OOO,-
900 members now in the service de-
pend on the Interpretation given to
the unemployment section of the
Selective Service Act. He said or
ganized labor wanted a re-interpre.
tation of this section so that vet
eran would have superior rights to
those hired after he was first en-
ployed, but inferior rights to those
hired earlier.
i Brig. Gen Frank T. Hines. admin
istrator of veterans affairs, raised
the question of seniority rights for
veterans yesterday when he revealed
that he has formed a committee
representing labor. business and
veterans groups to work out policy
on seniority that could be used as a
guide in future labor contract ne
gotiations.
The administrator emphasized that
whatever planning is done must be
done before We day because it
will be difficult after that" The
Veterans Administration, he said,
was making its plans on the basis
Of these estimates of what veterans
will do in the first year after We
day:
That 885.0OO will return to their
former jobs, 1925 900 will seek new
jobs. 10000 will become full-time
students. $4,000 will use loan guar
antics under the GI Bill of Rights
to 60 into business and $4,000 will
use the loan guarantees to buy
farms and that $4,000 will buy
homes