Evening star., 1943-02-27
Senate Probers Study
Possibility Of Cutting
Army Expansion Goal
Monpower Shortage
May Force Trim Of
! to 3 Million Men
BY the Associated Press.


! to ; Million Men
BY the Associated Press.
Convinced that the Nations
1943 military, armament and
food production targets are be-
yond the manpower range, a
Senate investigating committee
today explored the possibility Of
cutting armed service expansion
by one to three million men.
Despite assertion from an Army
deputy chief of staff that reduction
of the Army's 8, 200 900 goal by 1,O00,-
900 would make probability" Of
losing the war much greater" COM
mittee members instructed War
Manpower Chief Paul v. McNutt to
prepare plans portraying effects of
varying decreases in military
strength.
These plans, member Of a Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee said,
are expected to show feasibility of
limiting the projected armed service
size Of 10,70O,0O0 this year to 10000
900 men, 5000 900 or even 100000.
Might Cut Appropriations.
Should it appear possible to reduce
the proposed military strength with
out impairing Allied strategy, a
committee member said, the group
is likely to recommend curbing mill
tary appropriations If necessary to
restrict the armed forces growth.
Testifying in the committees man.
power investigations, 1t. Gen. Jo-
seph T. McNarney, deputy chief of
staff, said an Army of 5000, 900 by
December Is requirement.
1T on account of failure in the
shipping or in the capacity of the
Nation to produce and to maintain
an adequate economy, you had to
take million of of that eight mil
lion. what about the strategy?" asked
Senator Burton, Republican, of Ohio.
1T probably would fall" replied
Gen. McNarney.: LAS stated before,
the last thing that should be done
Is to reduce the strength OF the
armed forces, because after all the
primary purpose of the United
States at the moment is to win the
war ."
Discrepancy In Figures Claimed.
Pressed by Chairman Bankhead
for an explanation, Gen. McNarney
conceded that I'VE might win the
war with 71a million" but he stressed
the safe minimum for 1943 was
5000, 900.
Your answer was, categorically, /"
insisted Senator Bankhead, that
we would probably fail to win It,"
Then I will change it," said Gen.
McNarney, that the probability
will be much greater"
After comforting with Mr.. McNutt
and War Production Board Chair
man Donald M. Nelson yesterday,
Senator Bankhead said their 1943
programs for supplies and armed
forces Simply failed to jibe" with
the amount of manpower available.
An estimate that American work.
ing and fighting forces must total
1850, ,000-nearly half the popula-
ton Of all ages-by the end Of 1943
led the committee to conclude that
the Nations personnel bank ac-
count" appears overdrawn by "sev-
eral million men,"
Senator Thomas, Democrat, OF
Oklahoma, said 1t appeared. I'VE
ought to consider regimentation OF
the civilian population to do the job
on all the fronts"
Wickard to Testify Monday.
II cannot get away" he added,
from the proposition that this
building up Of a big army in this
country is not proper"
The committee had hoped to have
Secretary OF Agriculture Wickard
present along with Mr.. McNutt and
Mr.. Nelson to see if the three could
not agree on figures, but Mr.. Wick
ard was testifying before a House
committee that "it's a shame" skilled
farm workers are being drafted.
Senator Bankhead said Mr.. Wick
ard would be called Monday in ar
effort to clarity what the Senator
called conflicting figures.
Their programs call for approx
mately 10000 more men than in
1912, and there is no explanation
thus far where that amount of man.
power Is to be obtained" Senator
Bankhead said.
The committee did not make pub
lie all testimony received and Just
how Senator Bankhead arrived at
the figure OF 5000, 900 additional was
not explained.
The estimate of 62,50O,00O in the
armed services and the working
forces came from Mr.. McNutt who
said the 1912 total was So, 300, 900.
Asked where he intended to find
the 2,700,000 additional workers, he
replied:
They just have to be found; that
is ALL"