Evening star., 1946-06-26
Draft Law Gives Lie
To IsoIutionism Trend
Serves Notice on Whole World
u. S. Will Fulfill Missions
By David Laurence


in the electorate, the fact remains that
the Congress of the United States has
actually passed a bill to extend the
selective service or draft law for nine
more months.
On its face 1t might seem that Con-
gress is about to abandon the selective
service idea altogether, but what really
has happened Is something else. To
stave off the political reprisals that
might come at the polls in the congress
sional elections this autumn. the new
bill. which the President is expected
to sign, merely promises a nine-month
extension. But If world events are un-
favorable or If the armies of occupa-
ton are not supplied from volunteers,
the Congress will be faced next spring
with the same issue-Whether to extend
or discontinue the draft.
The War Department fought per-
siStent and successful battle for draft
extension. It's strategy improved in re-
cent weeks as it saw the need for COM
promise. In the final analysis, 18-year-
olds were omitted and the low limit
was put at 10 years, but the Army and
Navy have been given at the same time
an opportunity to increase substantially
the pay of enlisted men, which should
mean an impetus to volunteering.
Significance in Age Limit.
1t is being said that 18-year-olds will
not be drafted when they reach 10 and
that many of the 19-year-olds will not
be called. This is on the assumption
that the pay increase and the volunteer
system works and-What is more i'm
portant-that the requirements for
troops in the Far East and in Europe
will not increase, due to food riots or
other disturbances. It also assumes
that peace treaties will be agreed on
and armies of occupation will be grad
ually reduced in size.
Nobody can predict whether these as
sumptions, on which War Department
policy is based, will turn out as planned
But it is significant that, instead of
limiting the draft to those under 29,
the new legislation calls for draft
between the ages of 19 and As.
This means that the armed services
have been given an assurance that they
may, upon proclamation by the Presi-
dent of national emergency, call into
service any one from 10 to IS except
those who have already served or are
fathers.
The reason for the wider age limits
has not been publicly explained, but
it is assumed that the armed services
feel that, If they must spread the draft
over the various age groups and can
not go below 10 and cannot take fathers.
they must be in a position to comb the
lists of all single men up to the age of As.
The important thing from the view
point of the War Department is that
selective service law still remains on the
statute books and that the country is
not left without an emergency mechan-
ism in case unsettled conditions in the
world develop in the next few months
Also, in all probability the extension
beyond March 81, 1947 of the new draft
law with some notifications may be
confidently expected
Mission to Be Fulfilled.
Certainly until treaties of peace are
signed and occupying armies are with
drawn, the maintenance of means of
providing troops through selective serv-
ice will be continued Likewise, in
March, 1947, there will not be the same
political pressure as in this year when
there are congressional elections.
1t is to be noted that the same selec-
tive service law which has been ex-
tended by Congress contains provisions
permitting the President to seize and
operate plants or facilities which are
strike bound. Thus the Smith-Con-
nally law, or War Labor Disputes Act,
is also extended. Indeed, so far as this
type of legislation is concerned, state
Of war still exists formally, and the
President may do nearly all of the
things which he was empowered to do in
wartime in connection with the selec-
tive service law. The basic provisions
of the statute remain the same, as do
the amendments. 1t is primarily the
age limits which have been altered.
Congress thus serves notice that it
has not abandoned the job of fulfilling
the missions which the War and Navy
Departments have undertaken in the
post-armistice period This cannot but
be noticed in those quarters abroad
where it has been assumed that the
Congress is gradually retreating to
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