Evening star., 1950-05-06
Droft Could Be Needed
Desperately and in Hurry
Action by House Committee
Step in Right Direction
The Political Mil
Bx Gould Lincoln

Overriding the views Of the admins
trstion and of high ranking armed serv-
ices officials, the House Armed Services
Committee has written into the bill 10
extend for two years the Selective Serv-
ice Act a provision making necessary .
declaration by Congress that a national
emergency exists before any further In
auctions may be made.
Cold war or no cold war-this seems
to be as far as Congress Is prepared TO so.
with an election just around the corner.
Indeed. six months ago, there were plenty
of predictions that Congress would not
extend the so-called peacetime draft oct
at all. 1t is due to expire June "a. unless
given new life by legislation. Only the
serious situation in the world. which GER
tainly has not improved in recent
months. has brought some willingness on
the part of many members TO pass any
legislation relating TO the draft.
Step Is Not Enough.
The action of the House Armed Serv-
ices Committee. which has now unani-
mouSly reported the bill with the amend
ment already described. is step in the
right direction. But it is not enough.
Once before in our recent history. an at
tempt was made in Congress to kill of
draft law-by permitting 1t to die. That
was in the summer of l94l, Ave months
before the japanese made their attack on
Pearl Harbor Gen. Marshall. then Chief
of Staff, argued for hours before the con-
gresSional committees in favor Of extend
ing the Selective Service Act, pointing
out that II it were allowed to die-aS die 1t
would-the Army. would be hamStrung.
Yet when the measure extending the life
OF the draft law came to a vote in the
House it prevailed by only single vote.
1t seems incredible today that so many
members of Congress could have been so
Short-sighted as to vote against the con-
tinuance Of the draft. Had the bill failed.
this country would have been in far more
desperate shape than 1t was when the
attack did come
In l945 and 1916. this country tore
down great and victorious armed forces.
The race to demobilize was swift. The
war had been won; there was going to
be no more war. But the peace had not
been won-and it has not yet been won.
With many pains. and large appropria-
tions, we are building back to military
position. 1t takes time. 1t became evi-
dent a couple of years ago that the
country was not going to get enough en-
liStments to keep the armed forces up TO
the strength authorized by Congress, not
withstanding increases in pay and in
many advantages OF training offered
young men entering the Army Navy.
and Marine Corps. So the draft act
was passed. And also provision was made
for voluntary enlistmentS for one year
for 18-year -olds. and for 81 months for
Older men.
No Assurance on Men,
The enactment of the draft act stimu-
lated enlistments. BY January. l949.
it was not necessary to draft more men.
and the draft has not been used since.
But this year. 100000 enlistmeptS end.
With the draft removed-and it will be
removed to all intentS and purposes by
the amendment requiring Congress 10
act before any more men can be drafted
the sole reliance OF the armed forces
will be voluntary re-enliStments and VOL
untary new enliStments.
What assurance is there the same
condition will not be found that brought
about the passage of the present draft
act? There is none.
The administration is asking that. at
least, the authority to start up the draft
again be left to the executive branch.
which could act promptly. The wiSest
action, however, would be to retain the
draft as it now stands, with its machin-
ery continued in effect and ready TO go
into active operation at the drop OF hat
The draft is one of those things which.
II needed at all, will be needed desper-
ately and in hurry.