Evening star., 1948-06-03
Defense
Continued From First Page)

OF the ml1Lary manpOWer measure.
Draft Bill Provisions.
The Senate draft bill requires
registration of men 18 through Is,
but inductions would start with the
19-year age group. The 18-year-
olds could be volunteer for one year
of training.
Other age groups also could con-
tinue to volunteer, but Senator
Gurney contended revival Of COM
pulsory Selective Service will be
needed to insure the manpower
level of 1,795, 900 regulars and $780,
600 reserves deemed essential dur
ing the year starting July /.
On the House side, the Rules
Committee Is hearing arguments on
the draft issue, but Republican lead
ers listed this as one of several
bills to be disposed of before Con-
gress adjourns. House leaders are
preparing to make the draft vote
more palatable for their membership
by including a section that will re-
quire President Truman to say the
volunteer system has proved in
adequate before invoking selective
service.
Political Factor in House.
With the entire membership Of
the House up for reelection this
fall, that branch Is more sensitive
over adopting = peace-time draft
than is the Senate. where only a
third of the members have to run.
The civil rights issue may be
thrown into the path Of the draft
bill in the Senate from two oppo-
site directions. Senator LANCER, Re-
publican, OF North Dakota has filed
a series of amendments to forbid
racial segregation or discrimination
In the armed forces.
Senator Russell, Democrat, Of
Georgia is prepared to counter with
the proposal he failed to get adopted
in committee, giving men in uni
form the right to say whether they
prefer to serve only in a segregated
outfit.
Although 4 Southern f1libuster
against civil rights amendments is
in sight, there are reports the lead
ership will not permit it to block
action on the draft bill. One way
OF avoiding q deadlock, they say.
would be to move to table" the
amendments, which Is not debat-
able.
The votes Of many Senators who
favor the civil rights program
would be needed to sidetrack the
amendments, but influential men,
bers are expected to take the posi-
ton that the civil rights issue
should be settled as q basic issue.
3 Forces Scattered Over Globe.
In a speech prepared for delivery
today, Senator Gurney called the
draft bill the premium on our peace
insurance policy"
This Nation" he added, lis fool
ishly gambling with the future
safety and being of its people
and of its way of living. We have
no armed forces in being which are
capable of protecting those things
which we as a Nation hold to be
sacred, nor which are strong enough
to uphold the dignity and the posi-
ton of the United States on the
distant ramparts which we must
watch if we are to continue as
free Nation"
He said this Nations armed forces
now are scattered thinly all over
the globe with only a pitifully small
number of reserves available In the
United States to support the over
seas forces"
Senator Gurney said that while
the draft would be authorized for
Ave years, the program is left fiex-
ible so Congress each year can raise
or lower both the Regular and Re-
serve forces to meet changing world
conditions.
Senate Bill Explained.
Under terms of the Senate Bill,
Senator Gurney said drafted men
after completing two years of serv-
ice would have to serve in the Re-
cCINS 41SC yCdAos AMY ~SAAA
avoid this by volunteering for an
additional year in the Regular serv-
ices, or two years in the National
Guard.
The 1S-year -olds who train for
only one year would have to serve
six years in the Reserve or four
years in the National Guard.
If the one-year trainee refused
either such an assignment, he could
be called to active duty for another
II months with the Regular services.
Veterans with more than l8
months service between September
Is, 1940-date of the World War II
draft law-and enactment Of the
new bill would be deferred. along
with those with more than 90 days
service during the shooting war"
That is defined as between Pearl
Harbor. December 7, 1s41, and VI
day. August IA, 1945.
The bill includes authority for the