Manpower Official Quashes Big Draft Increase Reports

A high manpower official last night spiked reports that more students would be drafted, declaring that "although there may be a need for increased student call, the change is not expected to be drastic."

The official, who asked that his name be withheld, attempted to clear up the confusion from a recent warning by Major General Lewis B. Hershey, Director of Selective Service. Hershey had announced that students who expected to attend college next fall faced much stiffer deferment regulations.

The manpower official, in commenting about Hershey's statement, indicated that it was likely that some stiffening would occur, but to a limited extent only.

The increase in student draftees will be accomplished by increasing the draft test passing mark slightly and the class standing requirements necessary to remain in school, the official revealed.

Hershey, in commenting upon his article, said that the tighter regulations will be aimed at getting more men to start their college work after two-year draft hitches, instead of going through college before entering the armed services.

Hershey Summarizes

The draft director, reviewing his ideas about the college student deferment program in his agency's monthly newspaper, Selective Service, came to the following conclusion:

"A change in the college deferment program to reduce the number in college whose military service has been deferred is indicated for the autumn of 1953."

The Selective Service chief said the change would begin with the 1953-54 school year, because thousands of men who will have completed their draft duty would be civilians again and ready to head for college campuses.

"With the return of thousands who have done their military service, many of whom will enter college, it is hoped that the supply of available manpower will permit a gradual readjustment in the sequence of military training and college training," he said.

"Eventually, for the majority, military training should precede college training," Hershey concluded in his article.

The manpower official indicated that Hershey and the manpower office were at differences concerning several points, but that more concrete figures will probably be available in two weeks.