Evening star., 1945-01-17
President Urges
Early Passage
.0f May Bill
Indorses Measure
Pending Action on
National Service Law

President Roosevelt today called
for immediate passage of the
May bill which provides for in
duction into Army work. units OF
men between 18 and IS who will
not stay on war jobs.
In letter to Chairman May OF
the House Military Affairs Com
mittee the sponsor, the President
said that he favored that measure
pending action by the Congress on
the broader aspects of national serv-
ice" He added, while this bill Is
not complete national service law.
it will go far to secure the effective
employment in the war of all reg
istrants under the selective service
law between the ages of 10 and AS
The President also pointed out
that the May bill on which hearings
are now being held will be effective
in using the 100000 men now
classified in 4-F in whatever capac-
ity is best for the war effort"
Need Declared Increasing.
The President, who bolstered his
letter with joint communication
from Admiral Ernest j. King, chief
of naval operations, and Gen. George
C. Marshall. Army chief of staff, re-
called that he had urged enactment
of a national service law in his mes
sage on the state of the union and
added:
The urgent need of this legisla-
ton has not lessened but has in
creased since the ending of my mes
sage"
Convinced of Need to Act.
Mr.. May, who was at the White
House yesterday, would not discuss
details of what Gen. Marshall and
Admiral King told lawmakers. But
ne said it had convinced them that
action was necessary and that ex-
panded operations in the Pacific and
the German counteroffensive in
/ Belgium made it imperative to fur
nish more men and munitions at
once.
/ Gen. Marshall was quoted by one
of those who heard him as having
said, in effect:
/ Il don't make the laws; you make
the laws I have to fight this war
and I need men and munitions and
it's up to you to get them for me-"
| Gen. Marshall also was quoted as
having said that upward of 100000
of his fighting men are hospitalized.
with about 10000 of them being
victims of battle action.
Congress Assent Expected.
In the past, Congress generally
has acceded to the Presidents urg-
ent war requests when he spelled
them out, as Mr.. May said he would
do. And, the lawmakers predicted.
Congress will go along with him in
his newest plea.
In another phase of the pressing
manpower problem, Selective Service
Director Hershey told an informal
House group protesting plans to
| induct additional farm youths that
about half of the 364,000 deferred
farm workers under 26 probably win
be inducted by July /.
IF Gen. Macarthur needs 25,000
or 10000 more men on Lingayen
Gulf" Gen. Hershey said. T do not
want to take the responsibility for
not having the men for him
Denying that selective service
has told local draft boards to disre-
gard the Tydings amendment which
blueprints the procedure for defer
ring essential farm workers, Gen.
Hershey said: I'VE can't take farm
boys unless the local boards first de-
cides it wants to induct them"
Crawford Testifies.
Frederick C. Crawford, chairman
of the National Association of Manu-
facturers' Executive Committee, in
sisted, as Mr.. Mays committee went
ahead with hearings, that America
has manpower available Ito carry
out the new Army and Navy pro-
duction programs and the machinery
to utilize that manpower, without
national service or labor draft legis-
lation."
You would have had exactly the
same situation that exists today if
you had had national service for the
past three years" Mr. Crawford con-
tended. You would have had the
same wave of optimism stemming
from top Washington officials last
summer: the same wave of cutbacks
and contract cancellations; tie same
layoffs and the same feeling on the
part of the war worker that his or
her job was done. Now we have to
get them back-and fast"
Mr.. Crawford, who is president OF
Thompson's Products, Inc, of Cleve-
land, said manufacturers throughout
the country are convinced voluntary
labor is the only method by which
maximum production can be OBJ
tanned.
"The way to do it is first of all to
admit that all groups in America
undereStimated the Germans" Mr..
Crawford said. Their strength is
(See MANPOWER, Page A-6.)