Evening star., 1942-03-02
Congress Faces Fight
On Bill 10 Increase
Pay in Armed Forces
Showdown Seen Near
On Measure to Give
Soldiers $42 Monthly
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
A new and potentially explo-
sive isSue-increased pay for men
In the armed forces-appeared
on the legislative horizon today
as Congress began it's third
month deeply immers d in war
time problems and controversies.
Discussed in close committee ses-
sions for months, the pay question
threatened to become a live legis-
lative problem just at the time
when Congress was trying to COM
plete repeal action on the trouble
some self-pension law and to reach
a settlement on the controversy
over price regulations for farm
products.
Introduced by Senator johnson,
Democrat, Of Colorado, the military
pay bill has been the subject of
intermittent hearings since Novem-
Der II but members of the Senate
Military Affairs Committee said
they were now nearing a showdown
on its terms.
Only for Those in Ranks.
Senator johnson originally pro-
posed comprehensive basic increases
from privates and seamen to gen.
erals and admirals, but several COM
mittee members predicted that if
any bill finally was laid before
the Senate 1t would provide benefits
only for those in the ranks, pos
sibly including second heutenants
and ensigns.
As thus contemplated, the basic
pay Of selectees inducted into the
Army would become $42 a month,
instead of the present $21. They
would continue to receive that
amount throughout the first year,
whereas their pay now is increased
to $50 at the end of three months.
However, the present 10 per cent
increase in basic pay after one
years service would be eliminated.
The proposed increases in en-
listed grades in the Army and Navy
would bring top pay for Army mas
ter sergeants and chief petty officers
of the Navy to $138 month instead
OF the present $126, with cores
ponding boosts for interim grades.
$2Ss,OOO, 900 Yearly Added Cost.
Sponsors have said this program
for enlisted men would cost about
s288, 900 900 additional yearly, but
some Senators pointed out that
tripling the size of the Army and
increasing the size of the Navy
would boost these expenditures
greatly.
Gingerly avoiding any public COM
mitmentS, several members said
pressure was being brought to bear
to pigeonhole the measure in COM
brought to the floor there might be
runaway efforts TO increase the pay
of fighting men far beyond these
figures.
Congress recently gave a concrete
indication of it's sentiments in that
direction when the Senate unani-
mously approved and the House
concurred in an increase of 20 per
cent for enlisted men and 10 per
cent for officers serving in foreign
lands, including the Philippines,
Hawaii and Midway Island.
This provision was included in
q measure extending for one year
the pay OF civilian and military
personnel captured or missing in
war work, to which was attached
the congressional pension repeater
as a rider.
The Senate scheduled swift pas
sage of a House-approved confer
ence report on this measure today,
clearing the way for consideration
of a $32, ,762. .737, 900 military appro-
priation bill.
The House Ways and Means Com
mittee meanwhile convened to hear
Secretary Morgenthau present be-
hind closed doors the Treasury's