Evening star., 1945-08-28
Truman FACING
Fight on Draft
Of 18.25Group
Army Is Planning
Cut to 100000
Men by July !

1leSIQeIlI truman S Army
draft program was running into
snags on Capitol Hill today as
the Navy prepared to return
1888, 900 men and women to
civilian life within a year.
The House Military Affairs Com
mittee today will consider the pro-
gram submitted yesterday by the
President, who urged continuation
Of the 1925 draft, with a two-year
limit on service, telling Chairmen
May and Thomas of the House and
Senate Military Affairs Committees
that volunteers could not be de-
pended on to furnish the 1900, 900
occupation troops which Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Gen.
Douglas Macarthur say will be
needed for the European and Pacific
lheaters.
Most Congress members disagree
with the Presidents contention that
volunteers could not be obtained in
sufficient numbers. They hold that
special inducements to enlist-more
pay and shorter terms, for example
and strenuous recruiting drive
would produce the men.
Army Plans Big Cut.
Meanwhile, Maj Gen. l. w. Ed
wards, assistant chief of staff, told
the House Military Committee that
the Army will be reduced from g.
100000 to 2,500,oO0 men by next
July /.
THE Army will not level off at
this figure, however" he added, but
will continue to reduce. We are
safe in assuming that the perma-
nent Army will be well below the
2,500,00 figure"
Gen. Edwards said the reduction
after July / would depend on how
large our commitments for occu-
patton purposes are.
He listed a breakdown of the
$500 900 men in the Army next July
as follows:
Overseas, 1915 900.
In the United States, 1,185 900.
Jap Invasion Great Task.
The overseas troops would include
370, 900 in Europe, $4,000 in all Pa
cific areas and lis 900 in other loca-
tions outside the United States, he
said.
Gen. Edwards told the commit
tee that many veterans of the Eu-
ropean war had to be sent to the
Pacific because "a combat striking
force" was required there.
The initial occupation of Japan
was almost as great task as a
fun invasion" he said. I'VE did not
defeat the main Japanese army. It
remains threat to our safety until
1t is demilitarized. AS soon as Japan
Is completely disarmed the occu-
patton forces will be reduced"
Draft Holiday Proposed.
AS an example of the reaction to
the Presidents program, Chair
man May favors a three month
draft holiday to give the VOL
unteer method chance, and
Representative Sparkman, Demo-
crat. OF Alabama, fellow commits
teeman, advocates a six-month holi-
day. However, members of Con-
gress are almost unanimous in their
demand for ending the 'teen-age
draft Immediately.
The President was assured of
American Legion support. Col. John
Thomas Taylor, national legislative
director of the organization, called
at the White House with T. o.
Krabbel and William T. Conner of
the Legion's Washington staff and
told him the Legion was squarely
behind continued induction of the
18-to-25-year-old group.
Secretary Forrestal outlined the
Navy's vastly expanded demobiliza-
ton plans to newsmen late yester-
day. Previously the sea arm con-
templated discharging between l.
100000 and $4,000 within year or
Is months.
Now, however, the plan is to cut
back Navy strength to 100000 en-
listed personnel and $4,000 officers
in the next IL months. That will
mean the discharge of about 2,575.-
600 men and women and 1000
officers.
Will Alter Point System.
Mr.. Forrestal also reported that
the Nays point system for dis
charge will be altered to allow credit
for overseas service. This credit,
the Secretary. said, will be included
in the discharge formula within
about two months without any re-
duction in the present scores neces-
sary for discharge or any decrease
in the credit now allowed for age,
service or dependency.
Similar overseas credit is provided
In the Army and Marine discharge
systems, but was omitted from the
Navy's original plan because, Mr..
Forrestal said, necessary records
were not available.
The Navy considers sea duty as
overseas service.
Navy discharge scores now are A
for enlisted Navy men, 40 for off,
GERS, 20 for enlisted WAVES and IS
for WAVE officers. Credit is given
on the basis of one-half point for
each year of age, one-half point for
service since September /, 1899, and
10 points for dependency, regardless
of the number of dependents.
Denfeld Gets New Post.
Coupled with the overseas credit
revision, Mr.. Forrestal said, the
point scores will be lowered as rap