Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-09
Victory, Not
Army Size,
Is Objective
No Monpower
Shortage, but
Wostoqe Seen
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,

VoSto9e oeen
by DAVID LAWRENCE.
While the size of the American
Army may be debated from various
standpoints, such as what shall be
done about manpower at home,
the military stan responsible for
achieving victory does not consider
debatable this premise: that the
United States must supply whatever
sized army is needed to win.
Laymen may argue that the Army
is being assembled too rapidly or
that tonnage is not yet available to
transport the forces now being mo-
hilized, but the job of getting an
Army Of q certain size trained is
something that the military men
alone can discuss with experiences.
The high-ranking officers Of the
Army. If they consulted their pref
erences. might agree to let the
Army stop It's expansion but that is
not the problem. The constant
changing of commanding officers for
the various corps commands is nat
urally demoralizing and it would be
easier for the high command to let
the units stay at present size, but
the high officers of the Army know
that the American people will judge
them on the results obtained and
that the temporary inconvenience
of expansion are inevitable hurdles
that must be brushed aside for the
larger objective.
Replacement Planning.
An Army Of 100000 includes
replacements. Who shall say what
American Casualties will be when
landings. are made in Southern
Europe? Armies lose more In
wounded than in number killed but
Ill planning must be on the basis
Of . certain proportion probably
incapacitated for active duty.
Nobody sitting In = congressional
committee room can figure out what
our losses are going to be, but the
chief Of stan Of the United States
Army, Gen. George G. Marshall,
must be assured that he has enough
men available to reinforce those
in the field. It would be q tragic
moment II any American unit over
seas lost heavily because some
where back home limit was placed
on the size Of reinforcements that
could be sent.
So far Is soldiers per capita Of
population, the United States with
its 100 zoo, 900 people can supply a
100000 Army and yet not make
the sacrifices. relatively speaking,
that little countries like Australia
have made or that Britain has
made. to say nothing Of Germany,
Russia or italy.
The needs of manpower at home
for the production Of the food and
weapons and munitions OF war are,
Ct course, acute. But the way to
1 crease manpower ut home is to
forget special privileges and group
politics and for the administration
y Stop thinking about its political I
fortunes and night the war on q |
hard boiled basis al, around. !
It. is possible to supply suficient |
manpower for the home front If
the administration will favor the
frightening Of the work week. The |
labor unions are agreeable to
frightening the work week provided |
they are subsidized by higher wage
rates per hour, and If this be essen
tial then the administration must
raise ceiling prices and allow for
the extra costs.
Imitation Spiral.
The administration really started
the imitation spiral early in 1910 by
permitting the wage levels to rise
above economic necessity and As a
consequence the cost Of living has
risen because farm labor has had
to compete with city labor, especially
the fantastic rates of wages paid In
defense plants.
But the past cannot be removed
and mistakes cannot be erased. All
that y important now is that victory
shall be won. The farmer can
get more labor and the city factories
can get more labor If all the work.
Ing population are required to put
In full weeks work. All feather
bed rules requiring payment for
work not done" ought to be revised
for the duration OF the war and
men and women alike given an op-
portunity to supply the extra man
hours before any attempt is made
to reduce the size OF the United
States Army.
II the Army is curtailed it will
be 4 confession that America cares
more for the soft ways of politics
and group privileges than it does
about efficiency. There is no short
age OF manpower but big wastage.
When the civilian administrators
and political chieftains have played
fair with the soldiers and sailors
already occupying far-flung out
posts and have drafted, If necessary.
every able-bodied man and woman
for home front operations it will be
time enough to discuss whether the
100000 limit deemed absolutely
imperative by Gen. Marshall shall
be modified.
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