Senate Subcommittee Recommends Drafting Of College Athletes

A Senate group suggested this weekend that a lot of college and professional athletes now exempt from military service should be drafted.

"A man physically able to play baseball or football daily is able to make a worthwhile contribution to the strength of the nation," the preparedness subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee said in a report to the Senate.

The report revived an issue that excited considerable debate in World War II, when many athletes were turned down for military service because of some physical defect.

The preparedness investigating group, headed by Senator Lyndon Johnson (DTex), called for a sharp departure from such policies.