OCR Text |
Show c Selective Service and the National Defense Program Utmost care in selecting men fori military service to guard against impeding national defense production pro-duction was urged recently by Brig. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, deputy de-puty director of Selective Service. General Hershey called to the O attention of state directors of Selective Sel-ective Service that here is a growing shortage of skilled work ers for rapidly expanding and vital vit-al defense industries. In this connection, he pointed out that it is a basic provision of the Selective Training and Service Act that it must be adminstered "as not to interrupt, delay, or impede the national defense pro- ined workers not now employed in defense activities but probably necessary in the near future for the expansion of defense production, produc-tion, when such men "but for al seasonal of temporary interrup-j tion would be engaged in such activitity." Nothing in these recommendations recommenda-tions to local boards, General Hershey told the state directors, may be construed to give blanket, or group deferment, to any kind or class of workman, apprentice, or trade or technical student. He said. "In providing these broad provisions pro-visions there must be no divia-tion divia-tion from the clear statutory pro- gram." At tne same ume, ne aiso' warned that each claim for occupational oc-cupational deferment was to be decided on its merits and that the statutary prohibition against group occupational deferments is clear and strong. There is a dual respossibility imposed upon local boards, Gen. Hershey asserted, "They must not only select those who are needed fer those who are necessary in fer those who are necessary in the production of defense materials. mater-ials. They must take fully into consideration the entire defense picture in making that selection or deferment. "The President has said that the United States must become the 'great arsenal of democracy'. He has created the Office of Procurement Pro-curement Management with broad Tfflwers to brine" our vast indus- hibition against group deferments, j The local board has full authority and responsibilty for deciding whether or not a registrant is a necessary man and whether he should be selected or deferred. It must consider all of the evid ence submitted in connection with each individual case and must de-1 cide each case on ite particular facts." A mother and father wrote con- sent for son to volunteer. According Accord-ing to the Lincoln Parish Board at Rushton, Louisiana. It read: "Harry White want to sing up for the Earme and He warse born 1921, April 15. You can right Him up I dont care this is his mother and farther all from Mary White Frank White. This his son. tril machine to its ultimate capacity. ca-pacity. The director of that office has said he had but one mission 'production, production to the maximum of American resources. The associate director has set up a vast industrial training program to chedt growing shortages of skilled labor caused by our ra-pidily ra-pidily expanding defense production. produc-tion. Selective Service, in order to fill its quotas for the armed forces forc-es need not unnecessarily increase these shortages, or otherwise impede im-pede the national defense. Selective Service Regulations, were written with respect to occupational oc-cupational deferments to guide local boards to the following three results: 1. To prevent any unnecessary aggravation of existing shortages of necessary workers in defense activities by board and intelligent understanding of the magnitute of the Nation's program for defense de-fense production. 2. To protect the national industrial in-dustrial training program from unnecessary interuptions by dt-ferment dt-ferment of individuals when evidence evi-dence shows that they are "in training or preparation" for an occupation or employment found to be necessary to the mainten ar.ee of the national health, safety, safe-ty, or interest. paoiduia mou rjou s3(.iom pa haustion of pools of highly skill- |