Evening star., 1955-10-20
Military Spikes
|bricker Bid for
Draft Change

Draft Change
The Defense Department has
turned down for the time being
. plea by Senator Bricker. Re-
publican Of Ohio. for a change
in draft policy that would re-
lease older married men now in
uniform and call up younger
single men.
In q letter made public byl
THE Senator last night, Assistant
Defense Secretary Carter L.I
Burgess said q study Is being
made to determine whether itI
would be possible to inductl
younger persons ahead Of fathers
and older men. But he said
this study may take several
months, and. pending the OUT
come, he does not think 1t adj
visable to take any special steps
Ito provide for the early release
iof the older men.
Equity Involved
CAS- you have recognized I'M
lyour letter, important consider
tations of equity are involved in
any changes which would affect
the present arrangements for
lcall-up," Mr.. Burgess wrote.
MANY OF the older registrantsI
were deferred from service at
a time when others had to go
lin their stead to battle the enemy
lin Korea. Those persons being
linducted at this time are not
faced with the same unpleasant
Iduties. We recognize, however.
that other factors. some Of which
Iyou have mentioned, must also
Ibe considered.
The proposed changes would
have to be effected by an execu-I
tive order Of the President. For
this reason they will be given
lthe most careful study not only
by the Department Of Defense
but by the Once Of Defense
Mobilization and other civil
agencies having nlanpower re-
asponsibilities. !"
Mr.. Burgess also pointed out
Ethe armed services have ample
authority to release persons as
hardship cases, regardless Of age
land fatherhood. where the facts
Justify 1t.
Apart from the specific pro-
lposals." MIR. Burgess added, I'll
feel that automatic, wholesale
early releases Of persons from
1.-THE armed forces would seriously
impair our combat readiness"
/ In reply today. Senator BrickerI
told Mr.. Burgess he is sorry no
action is contemplated at this
time "on a matter that is of
critical Importance to men who
were long deferred and finally
drafted after their circumstances
had greatly changed"
Some Of the men were de-
EferTed to work Ia farming or es-l
isential industry the Senator
continued. Some we're deferred
for failure to meet physical
standards (which have now been
Ilowered,. In every case, presum-
ABLY, the national interest was
served BY the deferrment. It Isl
mot reassuring to learn from
your letter merely that q study
its under way to determine
whether young men should bel
icalled into service ahead oil fa-i
lthers and older nien-and that
such study may take many
months. The existing power iril
lthe armed forces to permit early
discharge In hardship cases does
mot match scope OF the existing
'lproblem."
1 Sena.or Bricker conceded that
men now In service cannot log
lically be released while other
older men are being called I'D.
The answer seems to be that
! the Government should stop
being callous in all aspects OF
this matter and. as l have
pointed out before, it can save
money BY being humane"
4 Mail Attached
The Ohio Senator attached
to his letter excerpts from his
mail as examples OF the problem
I One letter from a married
I26-year-old soldier points out
THAT it costs the Government
i $925.l0 more per year in de-
'ipendency allotments to keep him
lin the Army than in the case
Iof single man without de-
lpendents.
l Another 28-year-old soldier
said he was on a merchant shin
ia the harbor Of Okinawa while
the fighting was going on there
lbut that his service in the Mer-l
chant Marine did not count when
he was drafted after he had a.
wife and child.
i A third man, now 26, said he
was classified as 4-F when he
WAS 20 because he had a piece
slof steel impairing the vision inI
lone eye. He said the Army low
Iered the physical standards and
took him in last December
REPORT OF AN AFFILIATE or 4
BBANs MEMBER OF THE FEDERAL
i EHVE SYSTEM. published In as.
Hutt 4