Evening star., 1954-05-30
0DM Report Fights
Labor Conseription
In War Emergency
By The A.soeiassd Press


The Nation should place ifs
full reliance on voluntary meas
ures, rather than the conscrip-
tion Of labor in any war emerg-
ency. the ONCE Of Defense Mo-
bilization was told last night.
The formal recommendation,
made by the National Labor
Management Manpower Policy
Committee, will get careful
consideration" ODM director
Arthur s. Fleming said in q
letter released upon issuance of
the report.
MFR. Flemming is known to
favor the voluntary approach.
However. ODM repeatedly also
has ready for submission to Con-
gress, upon full mobilization, a
proposed bill authorizing a labor
draft If the White House should
prefer that approach.
Voluntary Cooperation.
The 15-member policy COM
mittee, made up of labor and in
dustry representatives, unani-
mously declared that voluntary
steps, akin to those used in World
War II. should suffice even for
atomic warfare in which Ameri-
can cities might be destroyed
with millions of casualties.
Effective manpower admin
istration lies not in controls but
in measures which stimulate and
help labor and management to
exercise their patriotism. re-
sponsibility and skills." the 19-
page report said.
"This principle Of voluntarism
should not be compromised"
Mandatory controls emphasize
the wrong objective, the COM
mittee said, by creating the i'm
preston that workers are doing
their duty merely by being at a
prescribed plant a given number
of hours a day.
Maximum Production Needed.
I'm time of crisis q modern
nation needs maximum produc-
tion, not perfect attendance rec
ords," the committee declared.
"Only the self-imposed discip-
line of free men and women
facing a situation of ultimate
danger can give the Nation the
stability and flexibility it must
have to survive"
The report contained 80 rec
concentrations as to principles
and policies required for meeting
the next war crisis-in which the
committee said manpower will
put the ultimate ceiling on the
Nations military and productive
effort. Some personal rights, the
committee said, will have to be
limited.
It recommended the "preferen-
tial referral" system of steering
workers to defense plants, the
restriction of hiring in less
essential civilian industries and
the imposition of employment
ceilings in defense plants to pre-
vent labor piracy" by employers
who seek to assure their own la
Dor supply.
Maximum Use of Women.
The report called on the De-
tense Department to improve its
utilization of manpower to con-
serve critical skills, and to use
women in the armed forces to
the maximum possible extent.
A careful screening of both re-
Servists and draftees. to insure
that men with crucially needed
scientific or technical skills are
used to best advantage, was
among the most urgently
stressed recommendations.
The report called for the de-
ferment Of students and appren-
tices in critical occupations, even
in period of full mobilization.
It proposed that the armed serv-
ices obtain expert advice to
guide them in deciding whether
reservists would be more valu-
able to the country in uniform
or in their civilian specialties.
The report also proposed that
advance plans be worked out,
insofar as possible, to meet man.
power requirements for post-at-
tack reconstruction of industrial
centers damaged or destroyed by
enemy assault