Evening star., 1952-01-20
Educators. Forecast
Big Draft in Hitting
Deferlnent Policies
Continued From First Page.)

Association and its affiliated
American Association of School
Administrators.
Considered by Eisenhower.
Gen. Eisenhower. on leave from
the presidency of Columbia Uni
versity, and Earl j. McGrath,
Commissioner of Education, were
among those signing the report.
It was said that Gen. Eisenhower
gave the report ''his considera-
ton" but did not participate in
drawing it up.
Discussing the disadvantages of
the present program, the report
said 1t gives mo assurance of
continued flows (of manpower)
through education and training in
the face Of sharply increased mill
tary demands now expected"
The report also said the present
setup leaves students uncertain
about their future and that under
local draft boards might vary
widely in granting deferments.
Basis for Policy Talks.
It also raised questions whether
Understanding students in the hui
manities and social studies should
be deferred as well as those in
sciences and engineering.
DR.. James B. Conant, president
OF Harvard University, and DR..
Arthur S. Adams, president of
the American Council on Educa-
ton, stressed at press conference
that responsibility for the report
rests entirely on it's 20 authors,
and might not represent views of
all members of the three groups.
They said, however. that the re-
port will be used as q basis for
policy discussions among the
members.
The education leaders also
stressed that much of the report
deals entirely with needs of
schools and a development Of
educational values over and be-
yond the manpower problem. But
1t placed heavy emphasis on crit
icism Of the present deferment
program. T.
Moral Very Bad.
DR.. Conant said he felt the
morale OF students under the pres
ent plan is very bad" because
of uncertainty about future defer
ments. AS for the colleges, DR..
Adams said there was no wide
dissatisfaction" with the present
plan, but that the concern in the
report was about future prospects.
The report said most proposals.
by objectors to the present plan
call for legislation to set up defer
ments mot dependent upon the
discretion of the local boards"
Under the program, local draft
boards control deferment of stu
dents. Selective Service Director
Lewis B. Hershey has recon-
mended that the boards defer
students If they qualify either
through certain standards of
classroom work, or through GER
tain grades on national aptitude
tests given last year. /
Moral every Bad"
The educators report said this
program has an advantage of
being now under way, and of CIV
ing students the right of appeal
against draft board rulings. In
addition. it said, 1t covers wide
range Of students. subject areas
and institutions in providing
flows Of trained manpower."
Asked to comment on the re-
port, Deputy selective Service
Director Louis F. Renfrow charged
that 1t was based on faulty pre-
mise" that draft calls would de-
plete colleges of male students.
He conceded that vastly-in-
creased draft calls can be expected
to replace draftees about to leave
service. While more students
probably will be taken, he said,
all deferred groups will be studied
for across the board cuts" In
addition, he said, a backlog of
available men is being built UP by
low draft calls.
No Plans for Change.
Gen. Renfrow said that Gen.
Hershey stressed, when the stu
dent deferment plan was ordered,
that its standards could be made
more rigid or more lax, depending
on manpower needs. Through
1852, at least, there are no plans
for a change in the present STAN
ards.
AS to varied actions by draft
boards, the official said that a
"very small number" have failed
to abide by the regulations. In
most Of these cases, he said, the
board rulings have been appealed.
"At any rate,p he declared,
Congress specifically stated that
final decisions on the deferments
had to be left up to the local
boards"
Figures on Deferments.
As Of January /. the official said,
there were 209,710 college defer
ments. Another 1887 students
have been ordered for induction.
but will remain in school until the
end Of this school year.
The January study, he said also
showed 263. 900 deferments because
Of participation in ROTC pro-
grams, plus exemptions for 377,-
SOB student veterans and 28,930l
divinity students. The total of
these exempted or deferred stu
dents. he said, is 891 900. as COM
pared with a college enrolment
of IL million males within the
age groups liable for the draft.
The remaining 367 900 students,
he said, include some too young
to register for the draft and