Evening star., 1947-04-01
District Draft
Standby Corps
Urged BY Leally
Appeals for ! 900
Here to Organize
AS Minute Men
BY Mirion Gutenberg

By Miriom Gutenberg
District Selective Service Director
William E. Leahy today proposed
the formations of permanent
organization composed Of
more than 1000 District volunteers
and chief clerks who served ths
draft here through the war years.
His announcement came as the
draft ended and President Truman
signed legislation turning the rec
ords Of the draft agency over to
new Once Of Selective Service
Records.
President Truman nominated
Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey to run
the new ofi1ce at a salary Of $4,000 !.
annually. The nomination was
unanimously approved today by the
Senate Armed Services Committee.
Corps Of Minute Men,.
Mr.. Leahy said formation of .
permanent corps OF minute men,
in the District would be accom-
plished at dinner meeting, date
and place of which will be an
nounced shortly.
Some form of standby organiza.
ton was proposed by the Senate
when 1t was considering legislation
to liQuidate the selective service sys-
tenn, but the Senate finally accepted
the House version OF the bill which
closes the draft Offices and provides
for preservation OF the 44,00O,OO0
registrants' files in State depots.
Il do not think the transfer of
the remnants OF selective service
made necessary by the recent act
of Congress should mean the COM
plete dissolution of the system" Mr..
Leahy said.
Here in the District, too much
has been learned OF genuine worth
by boafd members, appeal agents,
members Of the Board of Appeal.
physicians, dentists, clerks and the
hundreds Of others who gave un-
selflshly of their time and work to
make selective service the outstand-
ing success 1t was to be lost or for
gotten now.
Storehouse Of knowledge.
II think what the system learned
should be guarantee of its con-
tinued identity and existence. The ac-
cumulated experience acquired over
a period Of six-and-a-half years is q
veritable warehouse of potentially
valuable knowledge should our coun-
try ever request the assistance OF the
system again or one similar to II at
any time in the future. 4
Formed into continued standby
organization, the District would all
ways be assured Of its corps of min
ute men, ready and able to step back
in on a minutes notice and begin
where they left of without training
or delay.
"To this end, We intend to hold 4
general meeting of the entire system
tl dinner hereI at which Alfi' of
those who treasure the memories
and associations formed In their
years of service together will meet
and there organize into a perma-
nent selective service organization,
In which they may not only continue
the friendship of the war years, but
pledge their loyalty TO the cause for
which they were originally organ
lied and in which they served
so well"
Truman Issues Statement.
In statement yesterday Mr.. Tru-
man extended heartfelt apprecia-
ton on behalf of the Nation to the
selective service system. Not only to
the unpaid officials, but to the thou
sands of loyal clerks who have
worked so faithfully through these
long years"
"The selectiye service system has
rendered the Nation a service of
incalculable value. Those who made
possible its accomplishments during
the emergency-tfle vast majority
of whom served without compensa-
tion-deserye the country's graf
itude.'
The law contemplates complete
liquidation by March 81, 1s48, or
sooner.
Announcing that agents will con-
|tinue to investigate all charges OF
willful draft evasion, FBI Director j.
Edgar Hoover said that since 1910,
his organization has run down $685.
sos cases, which resulted In 15,458
convictions.
Gen. Eisenhower, Army Chief of
staff, said the end of the draft gives
the American people "the task Of
writing the insurance against the
chaos Of another war" ~
Great Test Planned.
From now on" he continued,
I'VE are engaged in great test, to
see whether a system traditionally
American in peacetime-the voiun-
teer system-can give us the stable,
well trained Regular Army our cur
rent international commitments re-
quire."
He conceded that the task Of pro-
viding such an Army (the average
strength for the year beginning next
July is set for 1.070, ,000) '1s erlor-
NOUS" He noted that never before
had the Nation considered even rais-
ing and maintaining million-man
Army In peacetime.
Maj. Gen. Willard s. Paul, chief
of Army personnel, reported yester-
day the recruiting program is con-
tinuing at a fairly satisfactory level
On the basis Of the first three weeks
In March, that month will bring in
about 10000 men. About three-quar-
ters of them are three-year enlist
ment men who signed UP immedi-
ately after the war.
While the 10000 figure is below the
hoped-for $4,000 monthly average,
Gen. Paul said the fact that the ma
jority are long-term enlistments
compensates.
Nuremberg .BIozed Troii,