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Mrs. ROGERS. How much of it do you think is sabotage?

Mr. HUGHES. As far as I know, there was no evidence of sabotage in this one. I don't know.

Mrs. ROGERS. I do not see how they can tell.

Will you let me know if you have any ideas along that line?

Mr. HUGHES. I certainly will.

Mrs. ROGERS. I think this all fits into our educational picture, not just specialization.

Thank you.

Mr. GEORGE. These boys that lost their lives in South America. were peacetime soldiers.

Mr. HUGHES. But the military certainly has no monopoly on this. There was a civilian and military plane here.

Mr. GEORGE. But nevertheless, there are certain dangers entailed to peacetime service.

Mr. HUGHES. There are certain dangers in being alive.

Mr. GEORGE. When you walk across the street there is danger.
Mrs. ROGERS. We live dangerously today.

Mr. GEORGE. Mr. Adair, do you have any questions?

Mr. ADAIR. Mr. Chairman. And, Mr. Hughes, it is nice to see you, as usual.

Mr. HUGHES. Nice to see you, sir.

Mr. ADAIR. I have been going through your statement rather hastily and it appears to me that you commented upon some of the things which have been before the committee heretofore, such as the effect that the enactment of legislation of this sort would have upon our armed services, and the efforts made to induce people to reenlist.

I observed the figures that you gave here with respect to increased reenlistment since we have passed the military pay bill in 1958. Mr. HUGHES. Yes.

Mr. ADAIR. Are you able to speculate as to whether or not in the future we might find the time, in the immediate future, when it would be unnecessary to draft men for the Army? Would you address yourself to that question?

Mr. HUGHES. I certainly could do no more than speculate. I think this would probably be somewhat hazardous. A good deal of consideration was given within the executive branch and I am sure in the Congress to the question of whether the latest extension of the Selective Service Act would be necessary and obviously the conclusion both in the executive branch and in the Congress was that it would be

necessary.

Draft inductions are a declining percentage of the total inductions, however, and I think this is a somewhat hopeful sign with respect to the need for continued selective service. But I really have no special information and certainly no special competence for speculating on that.

Mr. ADAIR. You make the statement that if we were to enact legisislation along these lines, that is, along the lines of S. 1138, that it would tend to work at cross purposes with the military pay bill which we passed.

Mr. HUGHES. Yes, sir.

Mr. ADAIR. This is a matter which has engaged the attention of the committee heretofore.

Mr. HUGHES. Yes, sir.

Mr. ADAIR. Another matter upon which you also touched was a comparison of S. 1138 with the mere extension of the Korean GI bill. If we were to have one or the other, which would be, in your opinion, the better?

Mr. HUGHES. I do not think I could make that choice, Congress

man.

The two programs are really similar in all their essential respects. Our basic point of departure is really that the readjustment assistance is not warranted under current circumstances.

Mr. ADAIR. For peacetime veterans?

Mr. HUGHES. Under current circumstances, for these peacetime ex-servicemen. Given this premise, and it is, I think, a very fundamental premise from our point of view, the differences between a straight extension of the Korean GI bill and S. 1138 are not great enough, as I would appraise them, anyway, to give us a choice between the two. We would feel that either an extension or S. 1138 would be undesirable under these circumstances.

Mr. ADAIR. Is it your feeling that the committee ought to resolve the basic question, first, that is, shall we extend readjustment benefits to peacetime veterans?

Mr. HUGHES. We hope the committee will conclude that they should not, that peacetime ex-servicemen should not be extended readjustment benefits.

Mr. ADAIR. Thank you.

Mr. GEORGE. We certainly thank you for coming.

If the distinguished gentleman from Florida, Mr. Haley, were here, I am sure he would say, "Why are we building schools abroad through foreign aid, paying teachers salaries, and not doing more at home?” I have heard him say something similar to that before.

Mr. HUGHES. I tried to point out that there are a good many programs at home that do some of these things and that they cost a good many millions.

Mr. GEORGE. Thanks for coming, very much.

Mr. HUGHES. Thank you.

Mr. GEORGE. I believe Congressman Trimble has someone to present. We are glad to have such a distinguished gentleman appear before us this morning.

Mr. TRIMBLE. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you very much for this opportunity to be here. I have previously submitted a statement on S. 1138.

It is my great honor this morning to introduce to this committee a man who, while he does not look like it-I mean by that he does not look old enough-he served 29 years in vocational education in Arkansas and 15 years of it for the veterans and he is presently State director of the institution for on-farm training for veterans, Mr. Victor H. Wohlford.

He has done a wonderful amount of good for the people of Arkansas and the veterans of Arkansas.

I just wanted to have the honor of telling you folks that you could not listen to a more dedicated public servant.

Mr. GEORGE. Thank you. He could not have been presented by a better dedicated Congressman, either.

Mr. TRIMBLE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mrs. ROGERS. I say "Amen" to that. I know the work the gentleman has done for his State. I know what a wonderfully fine, patriotic State he has. I remember the wheat that was given by Arkansas more than any other State. It was the first one to give. It has been a service all the way through.

Mr. TRIMBLE. Thank you very much.

Mrs. ROGERS. You are the best there is.

Mr. RANDALL. I have no ax to grind before the Rules Committee or any others. I am simply going to say the Judge has been a gentleman in all matters that I know anything about pertaining to him. Mr. GEORGE. Thank you. He has been a lot of help to us freshman Congressmen. We can say that.

You may proceed, sir.

STATEMENT OF VICTOR H. WOHLFORD, LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE APPROVAL AGENCIES

Mr. WOHLFORD. Mr. Chairman and members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, my name is Victor H. Wohlford, legislative director of the National Association of State Approval Agencies of the United States. In Arkansas I hold the position of State director of institutional onfarm training for veterans, employed by the State department of education. I have served in the field of vocational education in Arkansas for 29 years and have been working in the field of veterans education since its inception under the provisions of Public Law 346.

Today, I am appearing before you as a representative of the National Association of State Approval Agencies and speak for the membership of that organization-an organization, which you will recall, was set up, and has functioned in keeping with the duties, reponsibilities, and obligations placed upon its membership by legislation at the beginning of Public Law 346.

This national organization is composed of educators and administrators who are employees of the various State departments of education throughout the Nation, heads of State approval agencies appointed by Governors, members of veterans service commissions, State apprenticeship councils, school administrators, representatives of colleges and universities, teachers, and other individuals interested in the education of our youth.

In behalf of the membership of the National Association of State Approval Agencies, may I express our thanks and appreciation for the privilege and opportunity of presenting to members of this committee the thinking of a group of people who, for some 15 years, has been closely associated and intimately connected with the business of approving courses and supervising the education and training programs for veterans.

From our individual and collective experiences we feel the knowledge acquired over this span of years qualifies us to speak with authority and with wisdom. We speak in behalf of the millions of so-called cold war veterans-the legion of citizens of our democratic Nation, who since February 1, 1955, have been denied the rights, privileges, and opportunities as were provided their fellow citizens prior to that date.

In speaking to you today I am not unmindful of the problem which faces you in rendering a decision affecting thousands of young people of your home States; some at present who are scattered throughout the world in places such as Lebanon, Africa, Formosa, Greenland, Germany, Korea, and numerous other satellite areas, and hotspots in the world.

We need not dwell on the seriousness and importance of your decision to each of your constitutents, some out of the service and others who will be released from service tomorrow, and during the weeks and months which follow. I know you have received correspondence from them asking you as their Representatives in Congress, to enact for them suitable legislation providing educational privileges and opportunities as were provided their neighbors who were asked to enter the military service, possibly just the day before they were called on February 1, 1955.

Today, the spotlight is focused upon you good people. The hands of millions of ex-servicemen and women, as well as those now in the service, and the hands of mothers and fathers and wives are directing its beam upon this committee. Service personnel serving within the boundaries of the United States as well as throughout the world are anxiously awaiting the news which will be flashed worldwide to the effect that the House Veterans' Affairs Committee of the 86th Congress has voted out a bill extending provisions, similar to Public Law 550providing education and training benefits for those persons entering the service as of February 1, 1955, and for as long as the provisions of the draft laws are in existence.

There should be little need for me to bring to your attention the fact that money expended on human beings, in an educational way, is truly an investment and not just another expense. We can judge what is to come by what we have already accomplished. Studies conducted by Government bureaus have established the fact that veterans having received training under the provisions of Public Laws 346, 16, 660, and 894 have raised their earning power, as a result of educational advancement through the educational opportunities afforded them. By 1965 these men and women will have paid back to the Federal Government, in increased income taxes, the total amount of money invested in them by the taxpayers of the United States. This is an established fact and is not debatable.

May I raise this point for your consideration-as you discuss among yourselves the wisdom of extending the educational opportunities of veterans, are you able to pinpoint and place your finger on another expenditure of money by the Federal Government which has resulted in such a sound financial piece of business?

As we review the tax dollar for the fiscal year of 1961 we see it estimated that 52 cents will come from individual income taxes. We also see that only 7 cents will be spent for veterans. This expenditure covers all types of veterans benefits. The percent which will be spent for veterans education, following your approval of a bill such as you now have under consideration and which will be enacted by the Congress this year, will be very small compared to expenditures not to be returned to the Federal Treasury, as will that amount of money invested in the cold war veterans.

We read of a $79-billion budget. A 50-percent increase request for spending in space, or should I say on space. Added millions for foreign aid, and other millions for this end for that. All good and much needed programs no doubt.

However, we must all realize that the money for all such programs originates with the earning power of our people. Earning power is geared to abilities. Abilities stem from education. Unless the citizens of this great country of ours are prepared to render a service, and to earn, we will not have the finances available to carry out many of the programs which are now on the drafting tables. The much talked about balanced budget will never become a reality.

There seems to be a great difference of opinion of persons in high places in Government as to just who is ahead in the field of science, engineering, chemistry, missile development, airpower, medicine, and so forth. From where I stand it is impossible for me to render an opinion on this matter. This we do know-with the changes of the past decade-including miracle drugs, plastics, nuclear energy, and other important fields, it behooves all of us in the United States to develop and train workers in these fields or else our formidable adversary, Russia, will certainly become superior to us.

You will recall the alarm evidenced when Russia's sputnik was announced. How concerned everyone became of the stortage of scientists, technicians, and other trained people. Let it be remembered that Russia has not decreased her educational programs since that time. You will recall the story of the turtle and the hare.

Constant progress toward a given objective will result in achievement. Russia is determined and will leave no stone unturned in her attempt to surpass us in any and all fields of endeavor-this includes education. Are we using wisdom in our efforts? Are we practicing sound economy in denying the educational opportunities to some million and a half of our citizens who not only are entitled to these opportunities, but who are of the age and in the position to receive this training in the much needed fields of work, wherein lies the difference between success and failure of our Nation?

Are we to become a satisfied nation? Are we going to be led to believe that our country is secure, that it is prosperous and that the challenge of the Soviet Union will be overcome because of our devotion to industrial liberty alone? Such a view of this challenge is short and small. We must distinguish between private prosperity, measured in the total production of goods and services for private use, and national power, which is measured not only in terms of armaments but also in terms of wealth directed to education.

If this Nation develops adequate brainpower, the chances are much better that we will never have to use atomic firepower. Herein lies the need for legislation to provide educational privileges and opportunities for a total of over 42 million Americans to attend college, or learn specialties in on-the-job training programs.

Upon graduation from high school the majority of these so-called cold-war veterans did not have the money to enter college They had to find some type of employment in order to save enough for the payment of tuition, books, board, and room.

Before this could be accomplished they received their draft call or voluntarily entered the service just in advance of the draft call. Their

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