Evening star., 1948-04-17
Draft Foe Urges
Delay Ti||After
NovemberB Ballot
Deliberate Creation
OfWor Hysterio
Charged at Hearing
By Robert K. WoIsh

after the November elections be-
fore deciding whether to revive
selective service, Frederick J.
Libby, executive secretary of the
National Council for Prevention
of War, told the House Armed
Services Committee today.
Declaring that war hysteria has
been "unofficially created by delib-
crate design" Mr.. Libby said: I'VE
should wait until the November
elections give our country wiser
President
Other witnesses at committee
hearings on a proposed draft bill
included c. NJ Richards of the War
Resisters' League, who described
selective service as putting Caesar
in place of God"
Mr.. Richards predicted civil dis
obedience on a large scale" if the
draft were revived. He said many
veterans of the last war would re-
fuse to serve again He called at
tention to recent testimony by A.
Phillips Randolph, president Of the.
Sleeping Car Porters' Union, who
said he would advise Negroes to
ignore draft law if enacted with
out a ban on racial segregation in
the armed forces.
Mr.. Richards said he did not
advocate civil disobedience, but he
warned that enactment of selective
service would necessitate "the build
ing up of concentration camps for
objectors all over the country
Henry w. Sawyer III and Law
renee R. Mallery. jr., representing
the Greater Philadelphia Committee
Against Peacetime Conscription,
protested against the military DOM
nation" of United States foreign
policy and preparedness program at
this time Mr.. Sawyer declared
that IF we are thinking in terms
of vast armies we must think also in
terms of withdrawing that many
men from civilian production and
releasing that many monthly sal+
aries to compete for goods in the
existing market"
Meanwhile members of the Armed
Services Committee indicated they
favored increasing the Army to 837,-
900 men to keep pace with House
approved bill to raise the Air Force
from SIS to 70 groups.
Several members said, however,
the bill should not have a specific
provision against racial segregation
in the services. That should be left
to administrators of the law. they
suggested.
Developments Considered.
Some committee members also
doubted the wisdom Of including a
broad deferment provision for scien-
lists, technicians or engineers. That
also could be left to administrators,
they said. The pending bill, drawn
by Committee Chairman Andrews
would allow the President to defer
men because of occupational or
professional skills, they noted.
While the House committee
planned further public hearings for
most of next week, it seemed to
side with the recommendation of
Gen. Bradley, Army Chief of Staff,
that the Army's authorized ceiling
be raised to at least 1877 900 men.
Both the Andrews and the adminis-
tration bills call for an increase to
10000 for the Army, as compared
with present strength of $4,000.
Draft to Provide Increase.
The bulk of the increase would
have to be provided by draft, Gen.
Bradley declared.
Two Senate committees will have
hearings Monday on phases of the
preparedness measures. The Ap-
preparations Committee vii begin
hearings on a $685. 100000 bill
approved by the House last Thurs
day to permit the Air Force to start
building toward a 70-group force.
The Senate Armed Services Com
mittee will receive further detailed
military establishment estimates
from Secretary of Defense Forres-
tai. Chairman Gurney said last
night that the proposed Air Force
expansion would increase overall
defense spending by s6,O0o,000 1000.
IF that is done" he commented,
I'VE probably will go into deficit
spending
Secretary Forrestal, backed by
President Truman. has urged
strengthening of the SIS group Air
Force instead Of an increase to 10
groups.
Segregation Issue Raised.
The subject of racial segregation.
mentioned by several, witnesses last
week at Senate Armed Services
Committee hearings, was brought up
at the House committee hearing yes
terday by Jesse o. Dedman of the
National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People. He
said the associations only objection
to the Andrews bill is that it lacks
a ban on racial segregation.
Representative johnson, Repub-
lican, of California said later that
he and other members object to
prohibiting segregation in the armed
forces by law.
Its just one of those things very
hard to carry out he said. TT has
to be left to the field commanders"