Conant Calls for Fewer Deferments, Fair Policy

President Conant lashed out against the present draft deferment policy yesterday, terming it symptomatic of the unwillingness of the American people to face up to the threats to our security--to face up to the long-term implications of a divided world in an atomic age.

Speaking before the trustees of the Committee for Economic Development, in New York, Conant further declared that in his opinion every able bodied man should serve and that there should be at most only brief deferments.

"Congress and the administration have decided to take the calculated risk of leaving close to two million men--actually 1,700,000--in a deferred status as regards military service for the next two years," Conant said.

"Many of these will never be called if present deferment policies are continued; they are to all intents and purposes exempt. As a consequence, if a global war should engulf us, we would have to fight the war with the veterans of World War II or those who have served since Korea; we have no trained reserves other than veterans."

Much could be accomplished within the framework of the present selective service law to make its application "less unfair and less uncertain," Conant added.

"What is required for the morale of the young men is a clear outline of what lies ahead--a plan, a fair plan and a certain one," he declared. "Boys now in their early teens ought to be able to know under what alternatives they can plan their education and when they will be called. For everyone who is able-bodied to my mind should serve. There should be at most, only brief deferments.

"The test of a democracy," he said, "is the extent of citizen participation in it. The test of this government will be its ability to reflect the needs of the people by effective freedom of opportunity and initiative."

He added: "I do not believe that in the strictest sense, conservative, exclusively nationally minded administration will survive another election. Neither will an administration that fails to sense changing times and lacks the energy and resourcefulness to meet changing conditions.