The Pittsburgh Press (August 26, 1940)
Action Comes as Chamber Seeks to Speed Measure To Completion
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By Louis J. Schaeffle, United Press Staff Writer
BULLETIN
Washington, Aug. 26 –The Senate today agreed unanimously to limit to 900,000 the number of draftees who may be trained at any one time under the conscription bill while the nation is at peace.
Washington, Aug. 26 –
Chairman Morris Sheppard of the Military Affairs Committee told the Senate today that the War Department is willing to accept an amendment to the conscription bill limiting to one million the number of draftees to be given military training at any one time.
As the Senate entered the third week of debate on the bill, Senator Sheppard and Democratic Leader Alben W. Barkley opposed a proposal by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA) to fix the limit at 800,000 men.
World War Cited
Senator Sheppard said he had been advised by the War Department that the million figure, suggested by Senator Joseph C. O’Mahoney (D-WY) would be acceptable but that Senator Lodge’s proposal would tend to “cripple” the program.
Senator O’Mahoney offered his plan as a substitute, and it must be voted on first. If approved Senator Lodge’s amendment will be killed automatically. If it is defeated, the Senate then will vote on the Lodge plan.
Senator Lodge argued that during the World War, Congress placed a limit of 500,000 on the number of men to be drafted and that this limit was modified from time to time as circumstances demanded.
Vote Sentiment Grows
Senator Lodge said:
There is no reason to believe that Congress is going to suffer a brain collapse next year and refuse to change the limit I have proposed, provided a modification is required.
Advocates of the pending draft bill contended that they now had a majority of at least three in the Senate.
Assistant Republican Leader Warren R. Austin of Vermont predicted that 51 Senators either would vote or be paired for the bill on the final vote which Senate Democratic Leader Alben W. Barkley believes will come Wednesday or Thursday. Senator Austin said that 10 of the 51 Senators were Republicans.
The Senate began its 12th day of debate at noon.
Sentiment, even among some opponents of the bill, was for a vote soon. Senator Burton K. Wheeler (D-MT), unofficial leader of the anti-draft forces, said it might be possible to reach an agreement today for a final vote. Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg (R-MI), another uncompromising opponent of the bill, admitted that virtually everything for and against the bill had been said and urged a vote “one way or another” on it soon.
House Starts Action
Proponents of the substitute bill offered by Senator Francis T. Maloney (D-CT) authorizing conscription on Jan. 1, 1941 only if recruiting on a one-year, voluntary basis failed to fill Army personnel quotas, admitted that their chances of success have dwindled since President Roosevelt advocated conscription immediately. Maloney supporters had claimed a six or seven vote margin.
As the Senate neared final action on the conscription bill, the House prepared to get to work on its version. Chairman Andrew J. May predicted that the House Military Affairs
Senator Barkley and other Senate leaders said that they thought the Senate would reject the higher age range, contending that the 12 million men expected to be required to register under the Senate bill would provide enough conscripts.
In addition to the Lodge and Maloney amendments still to be settled by the Senate, Senator Barkley has announced that he would offer one authorizing an appropriation to defray expenses of training conscripts. Army officials have told Congressional Committees that the contemplated program would cost approximately a billion dollars the first year.
Senator Vandenberg said that his anxiety for a vote on the bill soon was based on a desire to have an end to “buck-passing” on national defense programs. He denied that opponents of conscription have resorted to filibustering tactics.
All of Saturday’s speeches were contributed by proponents of conscription. That would be a funny filibuster.
Urges Separate Air Arm
Senator Vandenberg endorsed President Roosevelt’s Canadian-American hemisphere defense agreement insofar as it applied to war in the New World and the acquisition of air and naval bases on the Atlantic Coast. He also urged establishment of an independent air force.
Meanwhile, a survey of states revealed that in anticipation of passage of a conscription bill, preparations for placing the draft into effect have been advanced to various degrees in most states in accordance with standing plans worked out by War Department officials and state National Guard officers during the past 10 years.
Election officials will handle the registration. Local boards – at least one in each county and more in cities – will decide which men are to be deferred or exempted because of dependents physical disability, need in industry, or other reasons.