BY REMOVING RESTRICTIONS ON SERVICE OF DRAFTEES HEARINGS COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS ON and H. J. Res. 222 SERVICE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES JULY 22, 25, AND 28, 1941 Printed for the use of the Committee on Military Affairs UNITED STATES WASHINGTON : 1941 61230 COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW J. MAY, Kentucky, Chairman R. EWING THOMASON, Texas WALTER G. ANDREWS, New York DOW W, HARTER, Ohio DEWEY SHORT, Missouri CHARLES I. FADDIS, Pennsylvania LESLIE C. ARENDS, Illinois ANDREW EDMISTON, West Virginia CHARLES R. CLASON, Massachusetts EDWIN M. SCHAEFER, Illinois ALBERT G. RUTHERFORD, Pennsylvania J. JOSEPH SMITII, Connecticut J. PARNELL THOMAS, New Jersey MATTHEW J. MERRITT, New York PAUL W. SHAFER, Michigan JOHN M. COSTELLO, California THOMAS E. MARTIN, Iowa OVERTON BROOKS, Louisiana CHARLES H. ELSTON, Ohio FOREST A, HARNESS, Indiana SAMUEL W. KING, Hawaii ANTHONY J. DIMOND, Alaska BOLÍVAR PAGÁN, Puerto Rico JULIA WATTERSON, Assistant Clerk UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AUG 15'41 CONTENTS Page Gen. George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff.. Mr. Grenville Clark, representing the National Emergency Committee Gen. John McKay Palmer, United States Army, retired. 57-64 Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord, commanding general, Fort George Maj. Gen. Jacob L. Devers, commanding general, Fort Bragg, N. C.- 88-99 Brig. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Director, Selective Service System -- 99-104 Mr. Frank Murray, president National Parents of Selectees, Inc.-- 104-120 Mr. Merwin K. Hart, New York, N. Y.-- 120--126 Mr. Thos. J. Reardon, United States Constitution Defense, Hartford, Mrs. Catherine Curtis, representing the Women's National Committee to Keep the United States Out of War and Mothers' National Mrs. Rosa M. Farber, acting national chairman, Mothers of the Mrs. Ethel Groen, president, the Mothers of Sons Forum. Mrs. Mary L. Arbogast, Mothers of Sons Forum. 150-151 Mrs. Sadie Barry, representing Parents of Selectees_ Mrs. Lucinda Benge, representing selectees - 154-156 Mrs. Agres Waters, representing We, the Mothers, Mobilized for Mr. Seymour Etkin, secretary, Washington Keep America Out of Mr. Frederick J. Libby, executive secretary of the National Council Letter of Joseph C. Menendez, commander in chief, Veterans of Resolution of Eph Boggs Post, No. 49, the American Legion ----- 164-165 PROVIDING FOR THE NATIONAL DEFENSE BY REMOVING RESTRICTIONS ON NUMBERS AND LENGTH OF SERVICE OF DRAFTEES TUESDAY, JULY 22, 1941 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C. The committee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Andrew J. May (chairman) presiding The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please be in order. Gentlemen, we have met this morning for the purpose of considering House Joint Resolution 217 and other similar resolutions (reading] : to further provide for the strengthening of the national defense by removing the restrictions on numbers and length of service of draftees, and for other purposes. We have this morning as the first witness Gen. George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army. The general is in the witness chair, and the chairman would like to say to the general we would like to have a statement from him of the reasons for the resolution; and, during the course of your testimony, if you reach a point where you think some war secret is involved that should not be disclosed to the public, you are privileged to say so and to reserve that for further closed sessions of the committee. Now you may proceed, General, and I am going to ask the committee to allow the general to complete his statement, after which he may be subject to questions by members of the committee. STATEMENT OF GEN. GEORGE C. MARSHALL, CHIEF OF STAFF General MARSHALL. Mr. Chairman, I have no prepared statement. I have already testified twice before the Senate Committee on Military Affairs. The first hearing has been printed, and I assume some of you have read it. I do not know just to what extent I should repeat myself, but I can be guided in that by your questions, if what I say now is not sufficient for your purposes. I would like to begin with a reference to my biennial report covering the period of my first 2 years as Chief of Staff. The recommendations submitted in that report were made by me at that particular time and in that specific manner because the situation was so serious that, in my opinion, it had to be brought before the people of the United States. My recommendations were based on military necessity only, and I was especially concerned that they be made in a manner that was clearly nonpolitical. I consulted no one with respect to them and no one knew that I was going to make them. I thought that my action was in the best interests of national defense. 1 |