Evening star., 1945-08-29
Army Is Expected
To Reduce DISCHARGE
Points 10 80 Soon
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
Key officials said today a re-
vised point system for speeding
Army discharges will be started
soon, possibly within days. All
that's needed is green light
from Gen. Macarthur.
When that comes, the Army will
begin cutting its strength heavily.
Maj. Gen. I. w. Edwards, assistant
chief of staff, told the House Mil
itary Affairs Committee yesterday
that when the Army size drops to
2 100000 next July, I'VE will not level
off there"
Will Continue to Cut Force.
Instead, he said, 1--WE will con-
tinue to reduce the force as occupa-
tional needs permit, and it is safe
to assume the permanent peace
time Army will be well below
$500 600"
OF the 2,500.000 left IN the Army
by July /, a total of l,3l5 900 will be
overseas-370,00 900 in Europe, $4,000
in the Pacific and lis, 200 elsewhere.
Meanwhile, demands mounted on
Capitol Hill for abolition or modifi-
cation of the draft. These demands
ignored pleas by President Truman
and the War Department that it be
continued on tWo-year basis for
men l8 through 25.
Lawmaker Predicts End.
One lawmaker, Representative
Skies, Democrat, Florida, predicted
Congress would scrap Selective Serv-
ice before Christmas.
Many others spoke out against
further draft calls. Particularly
they oppose inducing youths of l8
and 10. They insist program of
special inducements for volunteers
would provide enough men.
Only a scattered few voiced sup
port of the draft: those few termed
its retention a necessary evil"
The possibility of almost imme-
diate adoption of the new point sys-
tenn was cited by Chairman May of
the House Military Affairs Commit
tee and Maj. Gen. Stephen G.
Henry, assistant Army chief of staff
for personnel.
Col. Henry, who announced the
revised formula yesterday at COM
mittee hearing, said:
1T all depends on Gen. Mac
Arthur, but we hope that as soon
as the surrender is signed in the
next two or three days that he can
notify us Immediately he won't need
any more combat men and we can
make the change"
Committee to Hear Navy.
Mr.. May told neWsmen we think
the matter can be cleared up in a
couple sf weeks at the most :"
Meanwhile. he said his committee
would meet again Friday, to hear
Navy testimony regarding the Draft
Act.
GIN. Henry told the committee the
present point system was based on
Gen. MacArthur's need for thou
sands of combat troops until he was
certain he would not encounter
trouble occupying Japan.
The revised setup, which applies
only to enlisted msn, calls for:
/. Recomputation of points, which
are now figured as of May 12 This
will boost all scores several figures.
2. A cut from 85 to 30 in the num-
Der of points needed for a discharge.
Overseas Points Reduced.
g. Shipment overseas only OF men
with less than so points. The pres
ent figure is IS.
4. Virtual abandonment of the
policy of keeping men in service be-
cause of special Skills regardless of
their points. At present thousands
are in this class. This total will be
reduced to approximately 500.
5. A reduction in the age limit at
which men may retire. At present
1t is 38. Gen. Henry declined to re-
veal the new figure.
6. A similar program of speedier
discharges for WACS, with a re-
duction from A to Al in the number
OF points needed for discharge.
The Army also disclosed that a
point system for discharge of officers