Milford chronicle., 1945-05-08
Army To Discharge About
Two Million Men Within
Year; More To Be Drafted
Most Oi lroops In Europe Will u Before
tomg 10 Pacific; Draft To Be Stepped Un To Permit Dis
charge OF the Veterans Who Have Long and Arduous Service

mmentG For Con:ldei 30lC period at time the
actual number of soldiers in Europe will exceed
the requirements due to limitations in shipping.
We are mindful of the desire in the heart of
every soldier and every citizen to have many
of our soldiers can be spared without diminishing
the force of our blows against Japan to return to
civilian life possible. Th" War Depart
NEXT fully shares this desire. The department
strongly urged the Congress to provide in tho War
Mobilization and RccOnvcrson Act of 1914 that no
should be retained in the armed forces after he
onccr needed for the prosecution of the war.
This requirement is the law of the land. and
the War Department will live up it in every
spcct.
Draft Calls After We Day
The reduction in the size of the Army from
9,3ooooo to 6,96Sooo represents drop of little
over 1300.000 in total strength This will not hc
sufficient permit the early discharge of all the
men consider should be returned to civil life as
a result of their extended overseas and combat
vice.
Consequently. it is planned to hold selcctivc
vice calls after We day at level above that nee
cssary replace lost through battle and normal
attrition and thus make it possible to release more
men with record of long and arduOus service
This procedure of releasing the maximum of veterans
and their civil life will permit the call into
service of those who have heretofore been dc
terred for one reason or another.
We will at the same time continue to release
men because of sickness. wounds age and such other
factors which prevent their effective use i'll the ser
vice During the last twelve months discharges from
all these causes totacd about 100000. 1t is cX
rcctcd that discharges of this kind. in addition tt
those made of with long overseas and combat
service. will result in the release from the Army
during the next year of about 2,O0o,oO0 men.
With the exception of the men to be released fo
specific disabilities those who will leavc the Army !,
the next year will be selected from all parts of the
world the Pacific well in Europe. the baG
of impartial standards recommended by the enlister
themselves.
The whole aim of tho system that has bee,
developed is to insure that thoyc men who have beer
overseas longest and have fought hardest and th0s
who have children. got first consideration in de
mobilization That is the way soldiers bcpv
it should he and that is the way it will he. subicc
only to the continuing necessity of keeping in servc
until adequate requirements he found those me
needed to defeat Japan.
Shipping Factor
A preliminary survey made by the War Dcpart
mcut the basis of a one-sxth decentralization e
the Army indicates that all but 2 per cent of tn
to be released will be men who have serve
overseas and that these per cent will be father
who have been in the Army long time
About half of the 300,0oo who will be elieib
for release from the Army due to extended and ardr
Gus service are in Europe and about one thi,
in the Pacific. Most of the others are now
this country, having been returned. under rotatio
after serving full tours of duty overseas
How soon the to be demObilized can
brought home will depend on the availability of shi
ping and air transport after the requirements
i, the war against Japan met. The transportatic
of those eligible for discharge must be consider,
in connection with the whole transportation probcI
We have about seventy combat divisions
Europe at the present time. exclusive of hundreds
, thousands of combat troops assigned to corps al
armies and huge force of supply service troOl
1t takes fifteen Liberty ships to move the equi
4 mcnt of a single armOrcd division. 1t takes sevent
five trains to move it to the port That gives Y
e some idea of the transportation problem we are
against.
First priority must be given to the troops "A
/ equipment going to the Pacific if to "
that in the shortest time and with the small,
c cost in casualties. Otherwise. must slow do,
t the pace of our offensives and the risk that
. enemy will have opportunity to reorganze
# renewed resistance We will not ask anv Americ
o soldier to lay down his life in order that anotf
it American soldier may home few days soon
Y Main Facts OF RedepIoyment
Tho main facts of redeployment as far as
m concerns manpOwer that:
u We believe that program which gives us an Ar
= of 6.96S000 in twelve months from now will prov
II adequate force to defeat Japan
'c About 200o,o00 men will be returned to civil
NJ life during the next twelve months.
10. About two-hrds of the combat units will &C
through the United States and have furlouehs
The larger proportion of service troops urgeI
ps reedcd in the Pacific will go there directly
T. Transportation shortages even with the
a transport planes being used. will not get the
20 of the men who to he discharged back to
III United States before twelve months.
The problems involved in transferring
i'll strength 10 the Pacific and bringing home those
i'll who no longer needed complicated
its any have experienced before. We cannot ex
cr every phase of plans to work to perfect
m We count heavily upon the American people
es continue to meet with courage and understand
ill the tests that lie ahead they have worked, PR
ke and suffered for the great victories in Europe
ar Our great mission today is to against
ew enemy in the Pacific the largest force that car
he effectively employed with every and pc
of put at its disposal. That process has alr