needs to be trained. That is why I say the kind of an approach that we have in the National Defense Education Act, the broader approach, I think is a sounder basis on which to meet this problem. I am not saying that the National Defense Education Act is the last word, but I think it is a good start in the right direction.

Senator YARBOROUGH. Mr. Commissioner, I want to commend you for your concern in the broader field-the educational problem of all young people. I would share your concern fully if I thought this act would defeat the overall intention of the people and of the Government to stepup the educational opportunities of all young people. I do not regard this as an excuse for people to say, "Well, we have provided these educational readjustment benefits for the veterans, therefore, the national obligation is ended."

I certainly share your concern on that score, that we not lose sight of the broader problem of furnishing educational opportunities for all of our youth. I do want to commend you for that concern and your hopes to furnish those opportunities to all our youth. I agree with you that we have made a step forward. As a coauthor of National Defense Education Act of 1958 I appreciate that. It is my regret that we didn't go further. As you know, our committee did go much further, but we lost out on the floor of the Senate and in the House in our effort to furnish educational opportunities to

more.

Commissioner DERTHICK. Senator Yarborough, I want to say very sincerely that my friends and I in education and certainly my good friends out in Texas, and everywhere, appreciate the consistent interest that you have in education and your support of education on all fronts.

Senator YARBOROUGH. Thank you very much, Mr. Commissioner. I want to assure you that in sponsoring this bill, it is not with any intention of dissipating the national interest that the Nation does have; neither do I desire to specialize education in the opportunity field, to limit it to veterans. But while serving during World War II, at a time when I was overage and too old for economic reasons to be able to afford to go back to school, I saw a multitude of disrupted opportunities. Had it not been for the GI bill that followed World War II, I think we would have had virtually a generation of uneducated people in this country.

Commissioner DERTHICK. I think that the benefits of that legislation have been tremendous, and I have spoken of it many, many times and have had firsthand experience in employing young men as teachers who were entirely reoriented in their place of service in life. They would have never been available without that.

Senator YARBOROUGH. Thank you very much for your testimony. We will have your concern in mind here and also on the education subcommittee when we are dealing with the general bills.

I will bear that in mind on our general educational bills.
Commissioner DERTHICK. Thank you, sir.

Senator YARBOROUGH. I want to commend you for so diligently pushing this supplemental appropriation under the 1958 act. I have had many letters of concern about the lack of money. These young people desperately need the loans and I think you and your Department are to be commended for having so diligently pushed to get the

money really to implement the National Defense Education Act of 1958.

I desire to cooperate fully with you on that.

Commissioner DERTHICK. Thank you, Senator Yarborough, and I just can't resist saying very earnestly in response to your heartening words about our people who have worked so hard since last September, weekends and nights-I am going to make it a point to tell them of your endorsement and encouragement, and I know it will be very rewarding to them.

Senator YARBOROUGH. I think you have done a fine job to start that. I have heard a lot from the colleges in my State. I know they have had messages of distress. These colleges have applications from students with critical cases, who have to have some help from somewhere to stay in college. We congratulate you on having pushed that forward.

Thank you, Mr. Commissioner, for your contribution.
Commissioner DERTHICK. Thank you very much, sir.

Senator YARBOROUGH. The next witness is Mr. Victor H. Wohlford. He will be introduced, though, by Senator William Fulbright, former president of the University of Arkansas, Rhodes scholar, distinguished leader in the field of American education before he came to the Senate, and now chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Senator Fulbright, we welcome you to this committee and we appreciate your appearance before this subcommittee. We invite you to introduce this witness and also make any other remarks that you care to make.

STATEMENT OF HON. J. W. FULBRIGHT, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF ARKANSAS

Senator FULBRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I certainly appreciate those kind remarks that you have made.

Before I introduce the witness I would like to simply refer to a former hearing in which I appeared before this same chairman with regard to another matter which specifically interested my State, the establishment of the Fish-Rice Research Station in southern Arkansas. I would like to report that that station is underway, that the initial money for the acquisition of the land has been acquired and has been spent, the land acquired, and an additional appropriation of $350,000 has been reported by the committee in the House.

I thought the chairman would like to know that, although it has nothing to do with this particular matter. I know his State is greatly interested in it and he did a great deal toward getting that bill through the Senate.

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Victor H. Wohlford is vice president of the National Association of State Approval Agencies and he has been in Vocational education work for some 28 years in my State. He is one of the leading authorities in my State on the subject under discussion. I will not try to anticipate his testimony. I can only say that he is a man of the highest character and integrity and the committee can rely upon his testimony.

I would like to add in addition to that, that the general objective of the bill under consideration introduced by the chairman certainly has

my endorsement. I have said on other occasions that I think the greatest defect in our public life in this country is its relative neglect of education. I heard the last remarks of the Commissioner of Education and I regret, while I have the greatest respect for him, I can't agree with him for the reason that the overall effort of education in all its aspects in this country is far below what it ought to be.

While I recognize that this particular bill is not the whole answer and that other things should and are being done, I can see no reason, when our overall effort is lacking, why this program should now be abandoned after it has been so successful, as everybody knows. So, while there may be some details in the bill that could be improved, or some aspects of it which the committee would consider in its overall objective, I certainly support it. I think it is too bad that there is a tendency now to abandon either this program, or the impacted-areas program, or any other program in the field of education, because the Government, both local and national, has not done what it should do to train our young people.

I cannot understand any approach that would permit our young people to come to maturity without adequate education to meet the demands of the very complex modern life that faces us. Therefore, I commend Mr. Wohlford to you. I know he will give you a very fine statement, and I know that the committee will do well to listen to his testimony.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman, very much.

Senator YARBOROUGH. Thank you, Senator Fulbright, and thank you for your contribution on this bill. We appreciate your views very much. They are of great value to our subcommittee, and to the full committee, not only because of your vision in the international field and your experience in American education, but also because of your overall understanding of this need based on your practical application while president of the University of Arkansas.

Senator FULBRIGHT. Now that the chairman has mentioned another aspect of it, I would like to add that my opinion about the importance of this is certainly not just from a domestic point of view. There is no question but that our principal antagonists in Soviet Russia are exerting themselves in the field of education in a greater way than we are relative to resources, and education generally is very important to our national defense, in my opinion, although I think there are other reasons that are even greater than that, that would justify the bill.

I thank the chairman.

Senator YARBOROUGH. Thank you, Senator Fulbright.

Mr. Wohlford.

STATEMENT OF VICTOR H. WOHLFORD, VICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE APPROVAL AGENCIES, LITTLE ROCK, ARK.

Mr. WOHLFORD. I first certainly want to thank Senator Fulbright for the nice things he had to say and I appreciate the Senator doing me the honor of coming here and introducing me.

Mr. Chairman and members, as the Senator has told you, my name is Victor H. Wohlford, vice president of the National Association

of State Approval Agencies. I am also a member of the State Department of Education, Little Rock, Ark., and for the past 12 years have been intimately connected with veterans education, directing the institutional on-farm phase of veterans education in the State.

For 28 years I have been working with the State Department of Education in the field of vocational education. The above statement is made in order that you may have a brief picture of my vocation and experience in dealing with young people over the years in the educational field and to emphasize the fact that I have seen young men who have been provided with educational opportunities develop into some of the leading citizens of our State and the opportunities provided by the various GI bills has been responsible for many thousands of young men taking their place in the development of Arkansas and the Nation. This same statement has been made, and is true, of situations to be found in every State in our great country.

Today, I am authorized to speak for and in behalf of the National Association of State Approval Agencies. In behalf of myself and the members of this organization, operating throughout the Nation, may I express appreciation to Senator Hill, Senator Yarborough, and members of this committee for this privilege and opportunity.

The National Association of State Approval Agencies had its origin during the early days of the GI bill. Since 1946 our association has been charged by law with certain responsibilities and obligations concerning veterans education in the United States. Through the effective and efficient exercise of the membership, comprised of educators, departments of State government, councils appointed by Governors of various States, in cooperation with the Veterans' Administration, programs of Veterans' Education Nationwide has resulted in outstanding achievements by individuals who served their country in a military capacity. The results and achievements have many times been studied and documented and I am sure each of you are well aware of that which has been achieved.

On March 27, 1957, 2 years ago, I was called upon to present testimony to the Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, regarding the matter which is before us at this time. The need for providing readjustment assistance to veterans who served in the Armed Forces since January 31, 1955, and for as long as draft laws are in existence were stated and documented. However, positive and constructive action was not taken. In fact, the Members of the Senate and House were not given an opportunity to express themselves by means of vote on this important issue.

About the only difference to be noted regarding this matter 2 years ago and today is the addition of thousands of young men to the rolls who are faced with the educational inequity which had its inception as of February 1, 1955. Some 2 million of these unfortunate young men will soon be joined by another million and a half over the next 4 years.

The President of the United States, by Executive order, did away with educational opportunities and benefits provided young men who served their country since February 1, 1955. Recently the President requested that the draft law be extended for 4 years and the House and Senate has voted to continue for 4 more years the peacetime military draft of men 18 to 26 years of age.

As a result of our present system of compulsory military service thousands of our citizens are returning from service each year and soon there will be upwards toward 4 million desiring to be provided with an educational opportunity as was provided their friends and neighbors who served their country prior to February 1, 1955. These young people are patiently and anxiously awaiting the decision of this committee and Members of Congress.

In pointing out the inequity which now exists and has existed since February 1, 1955, let us remember that our present system of compulsory military service dates back only a short number of years (1940). The principle of general military service for our young men has not been thought of as a permanent feature of American life. Rather, it has been recognized as a sacrifice, in response to the wars, threat of wars, and continued crisis of our time and threats to our Nation's security. We can never have complete equality of sacrifice as long as some go to risk their lives or health in the service of their country, while others stay at home.

This year, 200,000 men will reach their 26th birthday without being drafted or otherwise serving in one of the armed forces. This is a new situation in the United States, one that has existed for only the last 2 or 3 years.

Until 2 years ago, every qualified man born in the United States, since almost the beginning of this century, has put on a military uniform for periods of service ranging from a few months to the duration of two major wars.

Next year, more than 200,000 will escape this service obligation. By 1956 more than half of all those who turned 18 during 1958 will find that they need not fulfill one of the obligations of citizenship which is the price tens of millions have been paying-military service in defense of this country.

It can be argued that over the next 10 years about 6 million new men will serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, while more than 5 million will pass their 26th birthday without serving.

In addition to those who thus "escape" the draft, and are allowed to pursue their educational plans without interruption, many millions more will not have to face military service because of deferment. They will not meet the stricter physical and mental standards that are being established. They will be fathers and, therefore, deferred.

These facts force themselves on our attention at this time because we are interested in those who must serve and be taken away from their plans educationally and otherwise for a period of 2 years then to return without funds to pick up where they left off in an attempt to prepared themselves for the future.

When it becomes possible for a man to sit back and gamble that he won't have to serve in uniform, with a good chance that this gamble will pay off, then there can be, will be, and is criticism of the inequity to the individual who is drafted and had his long-range plans for an education disrupted while thousands of others are left at home to pursue, without interruption, the plans for the future.

Today, the chances are about 3 to 1 that a man will have to serve. But this applies only to those who became 18 in 1951. For those reaching the age of 18 in 1959, the chances of having to serve are only about even. For many, this will look like a good gamble. The