Evening star., 1945-09-20
Army to Lower Discharge Score
To 20 Oct. l and 90 on Nov. |;
May End Point System in Winter
Marshall Reveals
Revised Plans for
DemobiIizution
By ], A. O'LEARY.


score for discharge from 80 to &c
on October / and. to go on No
vember l. affecting 100000
servicemen, was revealed to Con-
gress today by Gen. George c.
Marshall.
The Army chief of staff also dis
closed that the point system for
rehabilitation of soldiers can be
abandoned by winter.
I'VE may reach point in late
winter when the point system will
cease and all men with two years
service will be released Gen Mar
shall said.
He dropped these surprise pack
ages of good news into the laps of
more than 300 members of Congress
who had gathered in the auditorium
of the Library of Congress to hear
him explain the many problems the
War Department had had to sur
mount in demobilizing America S
far-fung fighting fronts.
Macarthur Repeats Prediction.
Gen. Marshall also announced re-
ceipt of a message last night from
Gen. Douglas Macarthur confirming
his (MacArthur's) prediction that
the occupation force in Japan could
be reduced to 100000 men by July /.
The same message also revealed
that the number of divisions Gen.
Macarthur wants sent to the Pacific
as being reduced from three to two.
Gen. Marshall emphasized, how
ever, that Gen. MacArthurs esti-
mate of an occupation force of only
100000 by next July, applies only to
the troops needed in Japan proper
and Korea.
That does not include other
places in the Pacific like China and
Hawaii, where the future needs
have not been definitely worked
out Gen. Marshall said.
Speaking in a quiet, conversa-
tional tone. Gen. Marshall held the
attention of the law makers for
nearly an hour as he unfolded
without even scribbled memo
randum the story of what faced the
War Department in trying to move
the Army from Europe to the Pa
cific in time for an invasion of the
japanese mainland on November l,
and the sudden reversal of all we'll
laid plans by the Jap surrender on
August IA.
1t was apparent as the Senators
and Representatives Strolled back
to the Capitol that the tall. SOFT
spoken Chief of Staff once again
had convinced most of them, as he
had done on numerous occasions
during the war when criticism of
War Department policy cropped up
In Congress.
Will Release $4,000 in October.
The highlight of his talk came
when he informed the legislators in
the same quiet tone of the plan to
reduce the point system to 60 by
November /, and added:
I'VE expect to release 100000 men
this month, about $4,000 in October
and between 100000 and 100000 a
month thereafter until we get to the
point in the spring when we have
to determine how many men are
still needed for occupation, and to
maintain them"
At the outset, Gen. Marshall as
sured them that there has been nc
relation whatever between the rate
of demobilization" and any War
Department plans for postwar
Army.
Any such postwar plan can wait
until the middle of next year, he
said.
The chief of staff reported that
both Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, COM
mander in the European theater
and Gen. Macarthur had vigor-
ously protested when the initial 85
point discharge score was reduced
to 80 points. The theater COM
manders contended that key leader
ship personnel, such as master SER
geants, technical sergeants and
cooks were among the long service
veterans who would be entitled to
release first, Gen. Marshall said.
Much of the agitation in Congress
for speedier rehabilitation has re-
suited from flood of mail reaching
Senators and Representatives, and
Gen. Marshall smilingly reminded
them today that he gets mail also
He drew laughter from his audience
(See DEMOBIL LIZATION, Page Al