Evening star., 1942-05-05
j. ). Plans Army
Of 100000,
Patterson Says
Declares 'Quickie'
Commissions VituI
To War Effort

The Army is building up to a
strength of 100000 men, Un-
derSecretary of War Patterson
disclosed today in testifying for
continuance of War Department
powers to commission civilians
as Army officers.
Mr.. Patterson pleaded with the
House Military Affairs Commit
tee not to sabotage the whole
effort by putting us in a strait
jacket" through strict retsric-
tions on commissioning.
Defending the present policy of
issuing commissions for administra-
tive and technical personnel, he said,
L don't claim the system is perfect, -
but with an Army of 6,0OO,O 900 men
not all of the officers would "be the
very best men"
Previously it has been announced
that the goal for this year was an
Army of 100000 men. When the
100000 figure could be attained was
not disclosed.
Trust the Army leaders in this
policy" Mr.. Patterson urged, saying
they should not be ''hampered and
trammeled" by rules on whom they
may or may not use.
Commission for York Planned.
Under the proposed ban on COM
missioning civilians, written into the
pending Army pay bill, Mr.. Patter-
son said Sergt. Alvin c. York, World
War hero, couldn't be commits
stoned" because he held no COM
mission in the last war. The War
Department, he added, had in mind
a commission for Sergt. York" - :
Representative Faddis, Democrat,
OF Pennsylvania, sponsor Of the
amendment, told Mr.. Patterson he
was willing to modify the proposal
"in any way that will make it work
able" AS originally approved, the
amendment would permit the issu-
ance OF Army commissions only to
graduates Of recognized military
training schools, enlisted men who
have completed course in an off,
GERS training school, or men who
have held commissions in the Ma
tional Guard, the Reserve Ofncers
Training Corps or in the World War.
Mr.. Patterson told the committee
1t was necessary that the Army be
allowed to take advantage of the
skill of civilians regardless of their
military experience.
Radio Experts Needed.
He said there was a need for radio
experts for the Signal Corps and
complained that the legislation's ex-
emption of doctors, dentists, veter-
lnarians and chaplains from the ban
against commissions was utterly
inadequate" He explained that the
present policy of the Army in issu-
ing commissions to officers in COM
bat branches and other branches
involving strict military functions"
was to take men only from the ranks
who had graduated from officers
training schools.
Exceptions to this policy, he said,
were that Gen. Macarthur in Aus
tralla and Gen. Stilwell in China
had been given authority to COM
mission men from the ranks with
out their attending training
school.
Chairman May said another War
Department witness would be Brig.
Gen. John H. Hilldring, assistant
chief Of staff in charge of personnel.
Committee in Disagreement.
That the committee itself was in
sharp disagreement on Representa-
tive Faddis' proposal and might re-
consider its approval of last week
was indicated when Representative
May himself spoke out against it.
There is some doubt about the
propriety Of doing this now," he
said. 1T is true that there should
be no wholesale commissioning of
officers from civilian life, but in
times like these nothing should be
done that might interfere with the
war program"
Representative May also disclosed
that Federal Security Administrator
Paul v. McNutt would follow Mr..
Patterson and Gen. Hilldring at to-
days session and testify on separate
legislation to provide for Federal
payments to dependents of men in
Quoted into the armed services.