Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-25

to expand the draft, committees
ar to be standing together on one
forces must be revamped, and late,
large number of 18-year- olds i'm
nediately-between 100000 and
450, 900 during the year beginning
next July /. The youths, the
general said. would get foul
months of training and % months
of service, a total of q months
Then. later, when the world ten
sion eased, the % months of serv-
ice could be dropped. he proposed
leaving a truly universal training
program of four or six months
| Both the congressional bills &c
along with the future" plan
After service periods are Topped
off, they propose 18-year-olds
should be conscripted into a ma
tional security training corps
directed by a civilian dominated
national security commission.
But, in their present forms, the
measures knock the props from
under Pentagon plans to draft
any 18-year-olds in the forseeable
future.
The Senate bill would lower the
draft age to Is, but not allow any
men to be called at that age until
draft boards have taken all the
available men between the ages
of 10 and 26.
While Mr.. Wilson's proposal
contains no such ban, it would
cut the draft age only to 1872,
In addition, it would require six
months of training and service in
this country or it's possessions, IN
surfing that no youth could be sent
into combat before the age of 10
Chairman Vinson plans to call
Gen. Marshall and other military
leaders tomorrow to testify on the
new proposals, which grew out OF
strong insistence of compromises
from some committee members.
Aside from the 18-year-old con-
troversy, however, the Senate
committees recommendations, and
those before the House group
largely meet principles of the De-
tense Department program.
Each of the bills would extend
draft service from 81 to 26 months
only one month short of the 81
asked by the Pentagon. The
Senate bill also specified that the
draftee who took no leave time
could go home after "A months
using about two months and five
days of accrued time as terminal
leave.
To Tap New Groups
Each bill also makes further
inroads into draft groups which
now are deferred. Non-veterar
non-fathers would become eligible
bringing in an estimated 100000
childleSs husbands. In addition
the Senate bill would charge the
Pentagon to draft more AIS, but
without ordering how many. The
House proposal is more specific
providing that minimum physical
and mental standards be moved
back to those applying in the
rock-bottom era Of January, 1945
Sharpest difference in the two
congressional proposals is on the
question of student deferments
The Senate bill goes along with
Pentagon suggestion that q
maximum of $4,000 youths a
year, after four months of basic
training, be deferred in order te
assure continuing flow of col
lege students. In addition, the
President still could defer other
students from any immediate
duty. The House proposal by.
passes the $4,000 provision, pro.
posing instead that student defer
ments be left up to White House
discretion as they are now.
One official pointed out that
the $4,000 plan fitted closely inte
the Pentagon's request to take 9
large number Of 18-year-olds who
normally would be college fresh.
men. If 18-year-olds are not tx
be drafted in large numbers, HI
said, the need for the specific
deferment decreases.
At present, about 900, 900 college
students either are deferred by
draft boards or have had Undue.
ton orders postponed until tn,
end of their school terms mex
summer. No specific defermen
plan beyond that time has beer
decided. While the Pentagon ha!
asked draft officials to "squeez.
out" about 100000 Of the 600, 0o(
for induction, there has been NJ
clear indication of which student!
will be called.
Responding to Pressure
In the face of a maze of testi'
mony from educational. labor, vet.
efans' and other groups, the Cap
itol Hill proposals reflect definite
steps to gain support.
Control of the UNIT program
by a civilian commission. for ex.
ample, was a strong demand OF
the American Legion. Labor
groups asked that servicemen's re.
employment rights be extended
and the bills would grant these
rights for four years instead Of
three. The Pentagon's propose
that a physical rehabilitation pro.
gram be set up for youths with