Evening star., 1946-03-18

VI Urdn extension
By House Is Possible
Speaker Rayburn said today he
Is mot very much discouraged" over
House prospects for passage OF
legislation to continue the Selective
Service Act, which expires May Is.
II think maybe We can do it in
the House." Mr.. Rayburn told re-
porters on leaving the White House
after q conference in which Presi-
dent Truman went over legislative
matters with his Capitol Hill lead
ers
Mr. Rayburn said that in addition
to selective service the discussions
also covered appropriations and
atomic energy legislation.
Those at the conference besides
Mr.. Rayburn included Senator Nc
Kellar, Democrat, of Tennessee,
President pro tempore Of the Sen
ate, Senate Majority Leader Bark
ley and House Majority Leader Nc
CormAck.
Six-Week Plan Gains Favor.
Meanwhile, the idea Of a six-week
compromise extension caught the
fancy of some Senators as pressure
grew for keeping the draft alive.
The six-week period would carry it
to July l.
With the Senate Military Affairs
Committee set for full dress re-
view Of the subject tomorrow, there
were these developments:
/. Members Of the House Military
Affairs Committee disclosed secret
testimony OF War Department ON
cials that the Army might fall to
only $4,000 men by July /, 1947
If 1t has to rely solely on voluntary
enlistments after May Is. That is a |
half million men below the Army S
goal.
2. Twenty six House members
Joined in sponsoring a resolution
calling for special study Of the
draft question by q Senate House
Committee.
Some members of the Senate Mill
tary Affairs Committee mentioned
the six-week extension. saying pri-
vately they thought it would give
the Army enough men, taken with
volunteers, to meet its interim .,ee ds.
The July / date would permit
the induction of youths presently
deferred to finish the current school
term and would provide time fer
Congress to transfer job-right pro-
visions of the Selective Service Act
to,some other Government agency.
Avoids Election Issue.
The Senators didn't mention it,
but. the July date also would wipe
outSthe draft before the congress
sional election campaigns get really
hot
Chairman May of the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee has proposed '
six-month extension with only
chlldlesS men between 21 and 80 .
eligible for induction.
The Army has asked that the
draft be kept until June 80, 1947.
House committee members said the Il.
estimate that the Army would not ,
get 100000 men it needs without ,
such extension was based on figures (.
presented at secret meeting last
week at which Gen. Dwight P.
Eisenhower and Secretary of War ,
Patterson testified on Army needs.
They explained that the Army
has been getting through Selective :
Service approximately $4,000 men
monthly. Should the draft law not
be extended, the Army would lose
between May Is of this year and
July l. 1947, $4,000 men. This is
the number Of men that would :.
be inducted during the remaining /.
l3h months at the current rate of
$4,000 per month.
Fear Enlistments Will Drop.
In addition, committee members
said, the Army fears that there will :
be sharp drop in enlistments If the
draft Is not continued Many men /.
now enlisting, they claim, are doing =
70 because of the knowledge that :
they would be drafted anyway.
In calling for the special draft
study by a joint committee, the 20 .
House members, equally divided be- :
tween Republicans and Democrats,
proposed finding on: (A) the size :
OF the armed forces needed for our \
own security and to fulfill our COM
mitments abroad; (b) any legisla- ,
tive changes to spur voluntary en-
listments, and Co whether selective !.
service should be continued and if !,
70, for how long.