Evening star., 1946-06-06
House-Senate
Battle Seen on
1een-Age Draft
Compromise Likely
On Other Features of
Senote-Possed Bill
(RoH Call on Page A-5.)
By the Assoeioied Pres,


House and Senate braced to-
day for a tug of war over resum-
ing the teen-age draft, but there
were hints of a compromise
making 19-year-olds eligible and
exempting those of 18.
The two chambers found them
selves poles apart on the teen-age
issue in their efforts to decide how
to continue the draft. The Senate
is overwhelmingly for continued use
OF teen-agers in the services, the
House just as overwhelmingly
against it.
The Senate pushed the question
toward showdown when it gave a
humping 69-to-8 majority yester-
day to its bill for keeping the main
provisions of the Wartime Draft Act
in force until next May.
Big Stumbling Block.
Although it differed on a number
of points from the House measure
voted April 13, the teen-age pro-
vision promised to be the big stum-
bling block in the bill which the
Senate passed along to Senate and
House conferees.
The conferees, Seven Senators and
seven representatives, must adjust
all the differences and persuade
Congress to accept their recon-
mendations between now and June
80, when the present law expires
Here is their problem:
Length of extension: The Senate
voted to continue the draft until
next May Is; the House until next
February Is.
Age of inductions: The Senate
by a 53-to-26 count, voted to con-
tinue inducing 18 and 10 year olds:
the House, by a 195-to-96 tally
ordered a halt to teen-age induc-
tions. The top draft age in the
House bill is %: in the Senate's, A.
Differ on Pay Raises.
Pay raises: The Senate wrote into
its bill pay raises for enlisted grades
only, ranging from so per cent for
buck privates to smaller boosts for
top sergeants and corresponding
ranks in the other services. The
House refused to put pay raises into
the draft bill, but voted in separate
legislation for raises ranging from
so per cent for buck privates to 10
per cent for five-star generals.
Induction holiday: The House
ordered a moratorium on all in
ductions prior to October Is. The
Senate rejected that proposal.
The two branches are In virtual
agreement on these provisions OF
their separate bills:
A ban against induction of faith
ers, regardless of age.
A limit of 18 months of service
for inducted men.
A prohibition against any induc-
tions that will give the Army more
than 100000 men by July /, 1947
Continuation of Unemployment
benefits specified in the wartime
draft act.
EoCCHs
The conferees expect little diff.
Guilty compromising all the differ.
ences except the teen-age provi.
sion.
House members indicated willing.
ness to accept the Senate's pay raise
proposal, probably with adjust.
ments; said they wouldn't hold ou,
too vigorously to retain the House.
voted draft holiday" and expected
no trouble compromising on the date
the proposed new law shall expire
But on the teen-age question q
knock-doWn, drag-out fight was IL
prospect.
Twice the House has voted EN-.
phatlcally to prohibit induction o1
18 and 10 year olds, once in its yer.
sion of the bill passed yesterday by
the Senate and again in the stop.
gap measure continuing the draft
law until the end of this month
The Senate has just as emphatically
insisted that the teen-agers be pu,
into uniform as requirements TO,
men with long service.
May Insists on Ban,
Chairman May of the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee, one of the
likely House conferees, told report
ers he would insist on the House
ban. So did Representative Short
Republican, of Missouri. OF the
other five expected to represent the
House during the conferences, Rep
resentatives Brooks, Democrat, of
Louisiana and Arends, Republican
OF Illinois flave opposed the teen
age draft in the past and Repre-
sentativeS Sparkman, Democrat, of
Alabama and Thompson, Democrat
of Texas have supported it.
Three of the seven Senate con-
ferees have been strong draft" ad-
vocates, two are known to be against
further inductions, and the attitude
OF the other two is uncertain,
In any event. House leaders expect
the entire teen-age issue to be
fought all over again on the House