Evening star., 1944-09-06
Soldiers 10 GET
Discharges on
Credit System
Army Reveals PIons
To Reduce Personnel
After Germany FoIIs
fTert OF Army's Den1obilisation
Plan on Page A-5.)
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

ny "ARAhNA Va xENDEnO.
Men with overseas service and
fathers win have first claim to
release from the Army after the
defeat of Germany, the War De-
partment announced today in
making public its plans for par
tial demobilization before the
end of the war with Japan.
Because of the continuing war in
the Pacific, releases of troops from
service will be slow and small in
number at first, the department en-
phasized.
Men will be selected for release
on an individual basis rather than
by units. A system of scoring with
points for length of service, over
seas service, combat awards and
parenthood will be employed.
Military Demands First.
In outlining its plan for partial
demobilization. the War Department
warned that the demands of military
necessity come first and that re-
gardless of a mans priority stand
ing, certain types of personnel can
never become surplus as long as the
war against Japan continues"
The War Department revealed 1t
had gone to the soldiers themselves
to decide on the standards for de-
mobilization. Opinions of thousands
Of soldiers interviewed here and
overseas are the accepted principles
of the plan.
"As finally worked out" the an
nouncement said, "the plan accepted
by the War Department as best
meeting the tests of justice and i'm
partiality will allow men who have
been overseas and men with de-
pendent children to have priority of
separation Ninety per cent of the
soldiers interviewed said that is the
way it should be-"
Fathers will be given points for
! each dependent child up to limit
Of three children, the War Depart
ment announced. The Star revealed
exclusively on August 20 that the
Army was favoringr plan to de-
mobilize fathers among the first re-
turning servicemen Nunder a point
system.
How Plan Works.
| Here's how the plan will affect
men in the various theaters of op-
Grafton:
~ European theater-Soldiers either
will be transferred to the Pacific,
kept in Europe as occupation troops
or declared surplus under the pri,
ority credit system and sent back
to this country "as quickly as pos
sible."
Pacific theater-Commanders in
the Pacific area will be told the
number and types of men who can
be replaced. These men will be Sc
lected under the priority credit
system and returned to this coun-
try "as rapidly as replacements of
the same type become available
and as the military situation per-
mits."
Continental United States-Troops
in this country will be the main
reservoir of replacements for the
overseas theaters, 'for, in general,
their priority scores will be lower
than the scores of men who have
served overseas and have seen COM
bat duty"
Will Cut Ground Forces.
The Army said the plan will pro-
vide some reduction" in the Army
ground forces and, at first, "consid-
erably less" in the Army services
and air forces. As requirements be-
come available from the ground
forces and from new inductees, the
air and service forces will discharge
"a fair share of men proportionate
with the ground forces" the depart
ment said.
The department warned it might
take many months" to return all
the surplus men from Europe. Most
OF the ships and planes used to
supply the European theater will
be needed to supply the Pacific
theater, it was explained. The
majority of the ships proceeding to
Europe will continue on to the
Pacif1g with troops and supplies.
Very few will turn around and como
back to the United States, and the
Army, therefore, will not be able
to return all surplus men to this
country Immediately.
Return to this country will not
mean an automatic release to
civilian life, it was said. The same
formula for determining which men
(See DEMOBILIZATION, P. A-40