The Harlem News

When 1943 ends, only about 22 of every 100 able-bodied fathers will still be deferred from service because of dependency, Manpower Chief Paul V. McNutt indicates.

Many others, however, will be deferred for occupational reasons. McNutt said approximately 900,000 will have dependency deferments next Dec. 31. This is about 22 percent of the total of slightly more than 4,000,000 physically fit fathers of draft age.

Slightly more than half of the 900,000 are expected to be deferred on the ground their induction would impose "undue hardship and privation" on their dependents. The rest will probably be subject to call when their order numbers are reached.

Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, chief of the war manpower commission's selective service bureau, forecast recently that the drafting of fathers generally would begin around Aug. 1.

McNutt's prediction was incorporated in a statement reciting that military requirements will permit only some 1,500,000 able-bodied men to be deferred at year's end on grounds that they are irreplaceable holders of key industrial posts.

McNutt gave this summary of the draft outlook.

"On May 1st, there were approximately 1,000,000 selective service registrants 18 to 38 years old in class 2-A, as key men in war production other than agriculture. There also were around 2,000,000 men with dependents who are engaged in essential activities, many of whom will be reclassified into class 2-A or class 2-B from former class 3-B. In addition, there will be deferment during the remainder of the year of registrants who become 18 each month, such as students who are completing scientific or professional courses."