Evening star., 1948-06-03
The Political Mill
Draft Compromise Faces
Threat Of StronguIotion
Amendments Could Keep Congress
In Session Indefinitely
By Gould Lincoln


When the cause Of national defense runs up
against politics in the Congress Of the United
States 1t has tough shedding. For weeks and
months the President, the best brains In the
armed services and the State Department have
been urging the need Of additional trained
manpower, In view OF the lack Of peace in tho
world. Now, with scarcely more than two
weeks before the proposed adjournment of this
session of Congress, the Republican leadership
has finally listed stop-gap selective service
bill as must measure.
Even this compromise meaSure--which Is
by no means adequate-is threatened with
strangulation. In the name of the so-called
Civil Rights Program, Senator Langer, of North
Dakota, Republican, is sponsoring series Of
amendments which would prevent segregation
in the armed forces, prohibit inductees from
paying poll taxes, provide the protection OF
anti-lynch provisions of law, compel contractors
supplying goods and services for use by or for
inductees to agree not to practice discrimina-
ton in employment because Of race, color or
national origin. II these amendments are
brought before the Senate seriously. Congress
would be kept in session indefinitely and the
bill may be defeated.
Protracted Debate Seen.
! Southern Democrats, who would resist the
LANCER amendments to the bitter end, also
have an amendment which in turn would lead
to protracted debate. This Is the Russell.
Maybank amendment, authorizing any in
ductee or volunteer to apply for mandatory
assignment to a unit of the armed forces COM
posed wholly Of members of his own race
Periodically minded Senators on both the
Republican and Democratic sides of the Senate
chamber are doing their utmost to see that
these amendments to the selective service bill
are not pressed. The civil rights issue-and the
question of segregation-they insist should be
dealt with on their own merits. not as rider
to a national defense measure SO vitality needed.
Whether they will be successful is another mat
ter. There is always the danger that members
of Congress who are against the military draft
In any form will throw their weight in favor
of the consideration of these amendments
knowing that by so doing they might kill of
the draft.
There is one way, despite the unlimited de-
bate rule of the Senate to choke of unwanted
and harmful amendments-a motion to lay
them on the table. Such a motion has to be
decided without further debate. Proponents
of the amendments, if they wished. could
themselves flibuster against the passage Of
the selective service bill. They would run the
risk, however, of being denounced from one
end of the land to the other for lack of pa
triotism.
Makeshift Measure.
The compromise selective service bill is
makeshift measure at best. Instead Of pro-
viding for an automatic imposition Of the
draft of men so greatly needed in the armed
services the bill gives the President author
ity to put the measure into effect, by issuing
a proclamation If he found there were not suff-
cient men in active service to care for the Ma
tional defense. Further, the President could
not issue such a proclamation until rs days
after the enactment of the draft law, and the
actual draft of inductees-men from 10 to IS
years Of age-could not begin for another 90
days In other words, no one would be drafted
into the armed services until after election day
in November. 1t looks like small, very small,
potatoes.
For long months the House Rules Committee
has denied the right>of the universal military
training bill-reported favorably by the Armed
Services. Committee of the House--to come
before the House for action, merely by side
tracking 1t in committee The same committee
has threatened to hold the selective service bill.
Something drastic should be done about 1t.