Evening star., 1942-12-10
Gen. Mc5herry, Facing
VINO Demotion, Plans
To Go on Active Duty
Officers Reduction by
McNutt Called Response
To Anti-Army Pressure
By JESSE O. IRWIN.

y
was preparing today to return
to active military duty because
he and the War Department are
reported to have refused to per-
nit Chairman Paul V. McNutt
to give him a subordinate posi-
tion in the reorganization of the
War ManpoWer Commission.
Mr.. McNutt on Tuesday informed
Gen. McSherry, whom he described
as being tower of strength" as
chief of operations, that he planned
to reduce him to training division
chief, it was said
Gen. McSherry is reported to have
requested the department Tuesday
night for his recall. and Mr.. McNutt
was notified early yesterday that the
officer would have to be returned
Immediately TO active Army duty.
1t is understood the department
interpreted the reduction in rank
as move on the part of Mr.. Nc
Mutt to comply with demands of
military blocs in and out of
Congress
Reported Blocked Before.
The reduction in rank was made
by Mr.. McNutt within eight months
after he is said to have blocked Gen.
McSherry's efforts to return to his
brigade by making a personal ap-
peal to Secretary of War Stimson
to nave him assigned as chief of
operations. it was said
Mr.. McNutt, in formal state
ment, said he acceded with great
reluctance to repeated requests by
the Army for the return of Gen.
McSherry. Gen. McSherry's recall
followed by one day an order by
Mr.. McNutt making the once-inde-
pendent selective service system a
bureau within the Manpower Com
mission, with MAJ Gen. Lewis B.
Hershey, former director, retained
for the present as bureau chief.
At the same time, Mr. McNutt an
/ nounced he would personally appeal
to Congress for the removal of ap-
preparation restrictions. which he
explained were preventing him from
perfecting smoothly operating
United States Employment Service
and from obtaining personnel in the
upper pay brackets for key COM
mission posts.
The transfer of Gen. Hershey, who
has been assigned to selective service
since 1896, and the move to denote
Gen. McSherry recalled recent
statement by Mr.. McNutt that there
has been differences between civilian
and military authorities over the
handling of manpower problems.
A commission spokesman said Mr.
McNutt has several civilians in mind
| for his chief of opera tions. The
manpower chief has been in con-
ference with Dr. John R. Steelman.
Labor Departments conciliation
chief. DR.. Steelman, however, is
known to have had an offer by Mr.
McNutt for an executive staff posi-
ton when the commission was
! created
The VINO Labor
Policy Committee will meet tomor-
row for the first time since PreSi-
dent Roosevelt followed it's recon-
mendations in giving Mr.. McNutt
additional control over manpower.
The committee in a so-called con-
! fidential' report to Mr.. McNutt rec
commended that Gen. Hershey be
made vice chairman of the commits
sion and Cen McSherry continue as
director of operations
Members of the committee, re-
fusing to comment on Mr.. McNutt's
failure to heed their advice, said
the matter would be taken up at
tomorroW's session.
McSherry Praised.
Like WPB Chairman Donald M.
Nelson, the manpower chief was
lavish in his praise of Gen. Nc
Sherry's accomplishment as chief of
operations. Mr.. Nelson has de-
scribed Gen. McSherry as one of the
best operations men in the Federal
Government.
Gen. McSherry is so years old,
native of Ell Dorodo Springs, Colo.
and graduate of the University of
Arizona and the Massachusetts, In
stitute of Technology. He served in
France during the last war and made
the Army his profession. He has
been through all of the Army
schools. He has been on labor af-
fairs assignments since 1882
The Army ofiicer takes the posi-
ton that as a professional soldier
he is delighted over the recall. He
said he had regarded his assignment
with the manpower commission
strictly from . military viewpoint.