Evening star., 1944-08-06
DemobilizatiOn Planners
Facing Difficult Problem
Work Quietly Lest Overoptimism Should Hurt
War Effort to Avoid Harmful
@ Mad Scramble of 1919-20
By Edward A. Harris

II. 70TffS
after World War will be remembered,
and that service men and women and
their families will be able to temper
their very natural desires for reunion
with an understanding of the problems
involved. 1t is hoped, too, they will
bear in mind the depression lasting al
most two years that followed the brief
burst of reconstruction activity after
the soldiers returned in the last war.
Past experience thus makes 1t appar-
ent that an ideal blueprint for demobil-
ization must be balanced against the
personal element, the strong pull of
family ties and the strong urge of serv-
ice men and women to return to civilian
life. 1t is this sort of compromise that
competent authorities are seeking to
work out. Demobilization will be carried
out as rapidly as military and economic
factors permit, but with firm effort to
effect rhyme and reason in both the
pace and order of discharges.
While, as noted, military officials con-
slider it too early to divulge their pro-
visional plan of demobilization, it Is not
too early to indicate the general lines
of thinking on the subject. 1t is en-
phasized, first of all, that the rate of
releases must be geared primarily to
the military picture. No man or woman
in the service can expect to be demobil-
lied as long as there is direct military
need of their services. Assuming that
the European theater of operations will
end first, there will still be need for oc-
cupation troops. Others may be shifted
to the Pacific area, while further ques-
ton mark cloaks the requirements for
any international policing organization
and for permanent military prepared
ness.
Fear Serious Unemployment.
Within the framework of military re-
quirements, however, there is still room
for seeking to coordinate the rate and
order of discharges with economic con.
slderations and the desirability of re-
leasing older men with family RESPONSE
bilities first
II, as the Labor Department has esti-
mated, 8,500,00O servicemen are de-
mobilized in a short space of time (as-
suming that 2,500D0O will be retained
In uniform for an indefinite period,
serious dislocations in the Nations
economy may result 1t is true that mil
lions OF war workers will retire from the
labor field once the war is over making
room for returning veterans, but unem-
ployment would still be distinct proba-
bility.
Authorities, therefore, are seeking to
work out plans to brake the rate of re-
leases to industry's ability to absorb
them. This means slowing down of
the demobillzation process SO that in
dustrial reconversion can get under way
before the labor market is flooded. It
may mean, too. that certain key workers
and skilled tradesmen now in uniform
may be released first but this, of course,
might conflict with the second phase
OF the planning on demobilization: A
priority order of release based, as al
ready mentioned, on such factors as age.
length and character of service, and
family ties.
The conflict of interest between re-
construction manpower requirements
and equity to individuals in the forces can
scarcely be avoided. A formula of first in
first out for instance, might cause de-
lays in industrial conversion. 1t is equal
ly evident that an attempt to gear de-
mobilization entirely on industrial needs
would be unfair to many in the serv-
ices. The answer to this vexing problem
seems to lie in taking the employment
situation into account to a limited de-
gree, with precedence given to the
necessity of fairness to individuals.
1t is entirely possible, of course, that
military conditions will slow down de-
mobilization, lessening the necessity for
arbitrary controls. The Brookings In
stitute, in report by Karl r. Schlot-
terbeck on Postwar Re-employment.
concluded that Rehabilitation will be
gradual rather than precipitate in char
acter."
'orlnteo by special arrangement with the
st. Louis Post-Dispa tch)