The Dean tends to favor some sort of deferment plan as a workable solution at this time, and feels that of the objections to the Trytten plan may disappear now that it has been amended. The new clauses that make men liable for college years, take away some of the advantages to the college student that may have existed before. Of course, a future Congress might change back a rule, and some men could avoid service. "I would not favor this plan at all," Bender said, "unless I thought all would serve at some time or other."

There are, as Dean Bender says, many points neglected in all of the present proposals. What would happen to the present ROTC programs under them? Would the Services reinstitute the V-12 programs of the war years? What would happen to the colleges and their faculties? It will be up to Congress to work out all the angles.

There is also the question of how many men the government actually needs, or will need in the future. Dean Bender points out that, if the number of soldiers necessary to the defense of the country reaches too high a point, the argument on drafting becomes an academic one: the government will then have to draft everyone anyway.

The highest figure that the army has given out so far on men it needs for defense is 2,600,000 a year. This number was increased to 3,000,000 by the Congress, which authorized drafting of enough youths to make up such an army.

One of the big arguments used against the present deferments system--with local draft boards normally granting leave to men in the top half of their class--is that it can only produce around 750,000 soldiers a year. To keep a 3,000,000 man army more draftees are absolutely necessary. President Conant hopes to raise a larger army with his program granting no deferments.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has already discussed U.M.S. while on the U.M.T. bill. But no U.M.S. bill has been introduced as it would have to be to get the program into effect. Under the present draft law, of course, General Hershey can set up any system of deferments he pleases. Thus the Trytten plan could go through without Congressional approval; but Conant's proposal must go through the legislature, since it is entirely new law.

Those sympathetic to the Conant proposals will not only be opposed by Trytten, Carmichael, Bronk and others; there is much strong pressure on Congress from large industry to work out a system that will insure deferment of engineers. Other groups are also already demanding privileges.

But the military may support U.M.S. The plan would get them many more men per year and be far less complicated than a deferments system. It has been learned that General Eisen supports Conant, and that other high military men may favor him.

One of the most important debates in this country's history is just getting started.