The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-01-04
Observations
U. S. Manpower
Situation Nears
Critical Stage
BY HELEN EssARY

this week that the American man
power situation has again entere
q critical phase as casualty list
reflect heavy fgkting on all fronts
The War Department reLo. tea
that Western Front casualties, ex
elusive of the air forces, from D-day
through Dec. / totaled 25S.l2
This figure accounted for NOR
than half the Army casualties sine
Pearl harbof which added up t.
4SS,957 as of Nov. 2S.
Close on the heels OF the Se.ec
tive Service announcement tina
the drafting OF men between u an
So WoS'd be resumed, the War De
partment stated 1t had been ne es
sary to boost draft quotas froI
$1,000 to $4,000 per month.
For the past six months. the de
partment explained monthly, quo
tas had been set at 10000; be.
cause at the same time the army
was goml ing its ranks for men fit
TO active combat duty who were
assigned 10 other obs and to or
CARNATIONS no longer needed.
By this procedure. for example
100 anti-aircraft battalions were
RETAINED FOR infantry duty and
other anti-aircraft men we re.
trained as individual infa~t re
placen ents. In addition. the air
forces turned over $4,000 mer tC
the ground forces, and $4,000 Were
t. ansierred from the service forces
thus making up for the lowere
quotas
Now that it has scraped its own
barrel, the Army has been forced
to turn to the remaining civilian
population for combat replace.
ments.
ESPITE THE ARMED
&c RCES' demands for younger
physically At soldiers and sailors, It
looks as II more men from 20
Trough 81 will find themselves IN
uniform along about next Febru
AIRY.
The need for more manpower by
the military services was, of curse.
responsible for the new. tighter
draft policy. And there is no.
whe.o else to go except to the oder
group. since deferments were trim
med last summer on the 1926 class
Moreover. draft boards are go'no
to be tough on men in the 2'-37
category who obtained oc""- atm
al deferments and then slipped OF
to peace-time Jobs.
CONGRESS WILL NOT FAC
the prosnect OF new tax leg'slot'on
in the New Year. II VIII he the
first time since the defp-sa rro-
gram got under way in $50 that
a major tax bill has not confronted
that body.
The enactment last year Of the
Tax Simplification Bill ended wa~ ,
time tax legislation. At leest that
was the intention OF Conoressions'
tax-bill writer's. A ma ior war catae.
tronhe would be about the ONLY
thing cspshle OF starting a move
ment 10 hike general tax rates
further.
A BATTLE OvFo POer.WAp
cOMPTT sorry Military TRAM
ING will swing into action soon
after the new CONGRESS convAnes
Jan. 5. The Horse Military A1~irs
Committee ALREADY has arranged In
hold hearings on the matter next
month. The Senate Military ~
fairs Committee plans similar hear
ings.
The controversy which has
strong support. also is bitterly op-
posed-is expected to rage into
the spring. when major provisions
OF the Selective Service Act ex-
pire May Is. Discussion of com.
pulsory training is expected to tie
IN with the argument over extern.
sion of these provisions.
A RECENT Bog COMMUNIQUE
said Superfortresses had attacked
Two Jima, Jap base. in the BONN
Islands group. Six hours later d
Navy communique said feet forces.
In cooperation with the B-29's, had
raided Two Jima in the Volcano
Islands.
Washington newsmen asked the
two services to check, and went
scurrying to war maps themselves.
Fact is, Two Jima is in the Vol
canos; but the two groups are
sometimes referred to as the "Vol.
cano-Bonin Islands" and some
maps list them as either the Volca.
no.; or the Bcnins.
OPPOSES ELLIOTT