Evening star., 1945-02-18
New Deferment
plan for War
Agencies Drawn
System Will Keep
30% of Young Men
Home for Key Jobs
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

A plan to give war agencies
chance to choose "a very linn
tied number" of men under 30
for continued deferment in the
face of mounting draft calls was
announced jointly last night by
selective service and the War
Manpower Commission.
Approximately 80 per cent of the
100000 men occupationally deferred
in the 1929 age group will be rec
commended for deferment by the
Government agencies responsible
for procurement and production of
war materials or for maintenance
of war supporting services, it was
understood.
| The primary objective of the new
procedure, according to the joint
announcement, "is to protect the
war production lines were induction
of irreplaceable key men will re-
tard the war effort, as well as men
in this group whose induction would
endanger public health and safety"
Boards Still Final Judge.
Draft boards will continue to be
the final judge of whether man
should be deferred and will be per-
mitted to defer younger men with
out certifieation by a Government
agency IF in strict Interpretation
of being necessary to and regularly
engaged in war production or a war
supporting activity"
1t was thought likely, however,
that with draft calls mounting
monthly and the armed forces de-
manding younger men, boards will
hesitate to defer men not consid-
cred sufficiently indispensable to
warrant a Governmental certifica-
ton.
The affected Government agen-
cies, draft spokesman said, have
agreed to definite limitations" on
the number and types of men they
will certify for deferment. A check
will be maintained to see that the
J certiflcations are kept to mini
: mum, this spokesman said.
, The WMC-Selective Service an
nouncement made clear that the
number of men to be recommended
for deferment will vary among es-
Itablishments. A ranking Govern
ment official explained that field
Representatives of the agencies in
volved will be permitted to reserve"
Is per cent of an establishment
younger draft eligibles, although the
percentage may be increased or de-
creased according to production and
service demands. A second IS per
cent of a plants previously deferred
manpower can be certified by me
headquarters of the agency here, it
was explained.
i Percentage May Vary.
In some plants, where fireplace
able specialists are turning out
highly critical work, it was ex-
planned, the percentage deferred
may rise to 80 per cent, while other
plants will be allowed to keep only
5 per cent of their younger draft
eligibles.
l The men will go through several
processes of selection according to
present plans. First, their en-
ployers will select the men they
can least afford to lose Next, ag-
ency representatives in the field
will pare the list to keep within
specifications. Then the list may
be increased or decreased as the
Washington headquarters of an ag-
ency determines which activities
need the most protection, and,
finally, the draft boards will put
their stamp of approval or dis
approva! on the recommendations
i The Office of War Mobilization
last month set up an order of call
for deferred men in the 26-29 age
group, but 1t soon became evident
that draft boards had been less
liberal with deferments than had
been generally assumed and that
the majority of the deferred men
| fCo, I'D rrT, r