Evening star., 1948-05-25
Hearings Due 10 End
Today on 200-hi||ion
Navy Installations
By Robert K. Welsh

WIN SeIldUS dllu 11ouoO VI "a
bills more nearly alike and
closer to a final floor showdown
a s209, ,689, 500 Navy installation
building measure was scheduled
for House Rules Committee
clearance today.
Hearings on the bill, containing
provisions for projects at the Nava
Medical Center at Bethesda, an all
field at the Naval Academy and ia.
cinties at several Maryland anc
Virginia bases, began yesterday ano
were to end this afternoon.
The Rules Committee also was tc
resume hearings at 2:30 pm. on the
draft bill backed by the House
Armed Services Committee. Some
members said they believed a rule
would be voted late this week and
the bill would reach the House floor
next Tuesday or Wednesday.
This bill would require registra-
ton of men 18 through 80, with
those 10 through Is eligible for in
duction for two years service. II
has no provision for military train
ing of 18-year-olds.
Gurney Offers Amendment.
An amendment striking out plan
to draft 18-year-old youths but per-
mitting them to volunteer for one
year service was introduced in the
Senate yesterday by Chairman Cur
ney of the Senate Armed Services
Committee. This amendment, pre-
viously disclosed by Senator Gurney
was placed with the bill reported out
May 10 by the committee.
The Senate measure may come up
for debate late this week. The de-
cision of the committee to abandon
the draft of youths of 18 is regarded
not only as speeding Senate consid-
Grafton. but also as bringing the
Senate version more in line with
House ideas on the subject.
House leaders have said they would
not accept any move to draft 18-
year-olds. They also are lukewarm
to military training of any kind by
youths of that age.
The Gurney amendment, worked
out by the Armed Services Commit
tee, would authorize voluntary en-
listments of "a limited number" OF
18-year-olds for years service in
the Regular forces followed by four
years in the National Guard or
other Reserve units.
AS originally reported out, the bill
authorized voluntary enlistments in
this age group, but provided for a
draft If enlistments did not come
up to l61 900.
250,000 Enlistments Seen.
Committee members said they be-
lieved the new plan would result
in at least 25O,OOO voluntary enlist
ments. They noted that 18-year-old
youths, by volunteering at that age,
would not be subject later to the
draft affecting men 10 through 25.
The amendment also provides
that 18-year-old enlistees in the
Army shall no be permanently as
signed to any place outside CONT
mental United States, and that SINH
lar enlistees in the Navy, Marine
Corps or Air Force shall not be as
signed to any installation which is
located on land" outside continental
United States.
The Navy Building bill, as ex-
planned to the House Rules Com
mittee by Representative Bates, Re-
publican, of Massachusetts,, speak
ing for the Armed Services Com
would authorize a maximum
Of $92,9 1892 500 for prof.
ects on the mainland and $l16,745,-
900 outside continental United
States.
Some Projects Controversial"
Reporting that all the projects
are regarded as top priority" and
that the Armed Services Committee
trimmed the Navy's original re-
quests by $42.000,00O, Mr.. Bates con-
ceded that some of the proposed
wrok is still highly
controversial"
Among the projects are $4,000, 900
for flight indoctrination and airport
land acquisition at the Naval Acad-
emy. S205, 900 for a chapel at the
Bethesda Medical Center, 81 ,410,000
for wind tunnels and other facilities
at Carderock, Md; 100000 for
bombing target facilities at the
Patuxent naval air station; $780,
500 for an ordnance test station,
for guided missiles ex-
Fermentation, at Inyokern, Calf;
$22 100000 for an aeronautical tur-
bine laboratory at Trenton, N. j.;
$2,275,0 900 for the naval ordance lab
oratory at White Oak, Md,