WOMEN'S ARMY AUXILIARY CORPS FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1942 UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a. m., in the committee room, Capitol Building, Senator Robert R. Reynolds (chairman), presiding. Present: Senators Reynolds (chairman), Lee, Schwartz, Hill, Chandler, Wallgren, Kilgore, Austin, Gurney, and Thomas of Idaho. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please come to order. We are here this morning specifically for the purpose of considering the substitute H. R. 6293, which substitute is in the form of an amendment, or amendments, proposed by Senator Thomas of Utah; and, as we all recall, this matter was brought up before the Senate the other day, and it was referred, or rather rereferred, to this committee for consideration. Now, I would like to ask the reporter to embody this amendment, or these amendments, of H. R. 6293 in his stenographic report, in the beginning, for the benefit of some of the members of our committee who are not here today on account of their detention elsewhere on official business; and I do not deem it necessary for this reporter to reprint or retype H. R. 6293 as originally proposed in the report, for that has already been incorporated in the former proceedings. We have a number of witnesses here this morning from the War Department. We are, in a sense, apologetic for having to bring them back but, of course, they understand why we requested the matter to be tabled; due to the fact that on yesterday morning, we took an adjournment out of respect for our distinguished, beloved, and very able colleague, Senator Thomas, who is the ranking member of this committee, his wife having died. We are, all of us, fond of Senator Thomas and appreciate his feelings; and simply for that reason, as was explained to the gentlemen yesterday, we relied upon their understanding when we took the occasion to respectfully request that they favor us by returning this morning. (The amendments referred to, intended to be proposed by Senators Thomas of Utah, Barbour, Johnson of Colorado, and Hughes, are as follows:) [H. R. 6293, 77th Cong., 2d sess.] AMENDMENTS INTENDED TO BE PROPOSED BY MR. THOMAS OF UTAH TO THE BILL (H. R. 6293) TO ESTABLISH A WOMEN'S ARMY AUXILIARY CORPS FOR SERVICE WITH THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES, VIZ: STRIKE OUT ALL AFTER THE ENACTING CLAUSE AND INSERT IN LIEU THEREOF THE FOLLOWING: There is hereby established in the enlisted Reserve Corps of the Army of the United States a section to be designated the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. 1 Under such regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe, female citizens of the United States may enlist in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and upon such enlistment shall be subject to all applicable laws and regulations pertaining to the enlisted Reserve Corps and such other regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe: Provided, That no member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps shall be called upon to engage in combat: Provided further, That the total authorized strength of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps shall not exceed one hundred and fifty thousand. SEC. 2. The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps may be officered by women who shall be appointed and commissioned as officers in the Army of the United States under the provisions of the Act of September 22, 1941 (Public Law 252, Seventyseventh Congress). Amend the title so as to read: "An Act to establish a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps for service in the Army of the United States." [H. R. 6293, 77th Cong., 2d sess.] AMENDMENT Intended to be proposed by Mr. Barbour to the bill (H. R. 6293) to establish a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps for service with the Army of the United States, viz: On page 2, line 2, after the word "Thousand", insert a colon and the following: "Provided, That in the enrollment and appointment of women under this Act, and in the interpretation and execution of the provisions of this Act, there shall be no discrimination against any person or account of race or color." [H. R. 6293, 77th Cong., 2d sess.] AMENDMENT Intended to be proposed by Mr. Johnson of Colorado to the bill (H. R. 6293) to establish a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps for service with the Army of the United States, viz: On page 2, line 2, after the period insert the following sentence: "In the enrollment or appointment of women in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, and in the administration and interpretation of the provisions of this Act, there shall be no discrimination against any person on account of race or color." [H. R. 6293, 77th Cong., 2d sess.] AMENDMENT Intended to be proposed by Mr. Hughes to the bill (H. R. 6293) to establish a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps for service with the Army of the United States, viz: On page 2, line 2, after the word "thousand", insert a colon and the following: "Provided, That in the enrollment and appointment of women under this Act, and in the interpretation and execution of the provisions of this Act, there shall be no discrimination against any person on account of race or color." The CHAIRMAN. Now, gentlemen, I believe the first witness is General Hilldring, and he has charge of the matter; and, General, if you will be good enough to provide the reporter with your full name, title, rank, and so forth, for the benefit of the record, I will appreciate it; after which we will be very glad to have you state extemporaneously what you should like in regard to the matter before you, or read anything you have prepared. Senator SCHWARTZ. Mr. Chairman, before General Hilldring starts with his statement I wanted to ask, as a matter of information, whether or not Mr. Barbour's amendment was adopted in the House before the statute was sent back to the Senate? |