Evening star., 1941-07-18
Bonus Is Suggested
For SeIecteeS SERVING
Beyond a Year
Downey Asks Soldiers
Be Paid $50 for Eoch
Month Of Extra Duty
By the Associated Press.

Senator Downey. Democrat OF
California proposed today that
Congress authorize $50 bonus for
each month that Selectees, reserves
and National Guardsmen may be
called on to spend in active Army
service beyond one year.
Offering his idea as an amend
ment to legislation which would re-
tain such men on active duty. Sena-
tor DoWney explained to the Senate
Military Affairs Committee that the
projected bonus would be paid in
monthly installments after the SOL
diers had completed their extended
service and been discharged.
AT the same time, the Californian
suggested that joint congressional
committee. headed by Vice Presi-
dent Wallace, be created to plan for
the unemployment of service men
after they are discharged
Army Efficiency Affected
The witness before the committee.
Maj. Gen. Jacob L. Devers. COM
mander of the 9th Division at Fort
Bragg. N. c., testified that he did
not believe the extension Of service
for selectees. reserves and guards
men would affect Army morale.
We have got to be careful,
though, to see that there is no dis
elimination and that one man is
not released and another kept in
service because pressure has been
exerted for the first man. Gen.
DeverS said
The Fort Bragg commanding Of
ficer also said that it had taken
him months to weld the 9th Division
into a co-ordinated team which
was an effective fighting force. If
the service of selectees is not ex-
tended, he said. that team will have
to be broken up by the discharge
in January of about so per cent of
its personnel.
Must Keep Team" Intact.
This is just like building a foot
ball team" he said IF Notre Dame
PLAYED only freshmen against the
Army the Army might beat them.
But they take five or six years legi-
tlmately to develop a football team
and the Army can't beat them.
If we are to have an effective
team, one that will win, we will
have to keep it intact and not break
1t up by discharging so per cent
OF its personnel
Norman Thomas. Socialist partv
chairman. told the committee that
II Congress and the American people
acqulesced in the occupation of Ice
land by American troops. the next
step VIII be bases in Ireland and
Scotland, or Dakar in Africa. and
perhaps some lonely posts in ST.
beria'
Later two National Guard generals
told the committee that if Hitler's
armies crushed Russia the danger of
military attack on the United
States would be greatly increased.
They were Maj. Gems. Milton A.
Reckord of the Maryland Guard and
William H: Haskell of New York.
Both urged that Congress declare a
national emergency so as to make
possible retention of the emergency
soldiers.
Gen. Reckord told the committee
he had conferred with many Guard
officers and that without exception
the thought is that the National
Guard should be kept in service as
long as the emergency asks"
Men Want to Remain.
So far as he had been able to learn,
he added, there was no appreciable
thought in the entire National Guard
OF the United States" that the Guard
should be demobilized after one year.
Senator Bridges, Republican. of
New Hampshire asked the general
whether he thought the feeling was
the same among men in the ranks as
among the officers.
Il think with 80 per cent of the
men that's true" the witness an
sWered. There is always minority
in everything. but there is no So
called militant minority"
Meanwhile, the Army's proposal
that Congress provide for extended
service of selectees by formally de-
claring national emergency was
reported to be receiving serious con-
sideration in some legislative
quarters.
One administration Senator, who
asked to remain anonymous, said
this method. which encountered
widespread objection when first sug-
gested recently, now appeared to be
meeting an increasingly favorable
response.
This situation he attributed to the
fact that enactment of simple
resolution declaring the existence of
an emergency would pass to the
President the specific duty Of order
,ca. I'D noro A2l