Evening star., 1945-10-16
a Million DISCHARGES
by Christmas Hinge
On Available Shipping

Whether the Army will be able
to discharge half of it's $500, 900
men by Christmas will depend
largely on the rate men can be
returned from overseas, Brig.
Gen. Robert w. Berry, deputy
chief of Army personnel, said
today.
The War Department last week
reached its discharge peak when
10000 men were released Thursday
and another 10000 went home Fri
day. During seven days last week,
266,0o0 soldiers were discharged. For
the first II days of this month, 49,
600 men have been discharged.
Gen. Berry said it was mot beyond
the realm OF possibility" that more
than 100000 would be out of uni
form to celebrate Victory Christ
mas" but he added 1t was "a little
early to say" whether the Army
could maintain a 40,0O0-a-day dis
charge rate.
Depends on Shipping.
The rate of shipping. he said, has
a direct connection with the rate of
discharges. He pointed to the recent
announcement in London that the
British were taking the Queen Eliz-
abeth and the Aquitania off the
schedule of bringing American SOL
diers home as one of the factors that
might have bearing on the number
OF men flowing through the separa-
ton centers.
Gen. Berry added that some of
the peak rate was due to the fact
that separation center personnel
was working longer hours than it
should for continuous operation in
order to cut down the backlog of
men awaiting discharge. He doubt
ed that 1t would be possible to con-
tinue that pace.
He said there were always diff
culties around the week ends be-
cause the civilian employees worked
a 40-hour week and the rate of dis
charges invariably dropped. The
centers are operating seven days a
week, but on smaller shifts over the
week ends.
More Separation Centers.
Increase in the number of separa-
ton centers, as we'll as putting CEN
ter staffs on two-Shift basis were
credited with stepping up the rate.
Army personnel ofi1cials said they
also were working toward the goal
OF getting the men out of the CEN
ters within three or four days after
they reached them. Currently, men
are having to wait five days in some
centers because Of backlogs caused
by ship arrivals, although the actual
processing has been cut to A hours.
The War Department also an
nounced that 1852 Medical Corps
doctors had been released during
the week ending October IL. In all
1918 doctors have been discharged
from the Army since May IL. Else
where in the Medical Department
1883 have been released since May
II, including dentists, members of
the veterinary, sanitary and med
ical administrative corps, Army
nurses, dieticians and physical
therapists.
Meanwhile, at Fort Meade. Md.
where Washington area men are
discharged, it was reported that
the center now is able to discharge
1,125 men a day.
.5......,,,.-s6 5000 Await Release. e-.a....a.s
ee The center said $500 enlisted
men and 80 officers were awaiting
discharge at the center now, in ad-
dition to those who went home on
emergency furloughs and have been
returning gradually for discharge.
The latter group amounted to 4,500
men, but that figure has been whit
tied down to $500, and 200 more of
these men are being discharged
each day.
Waiting time ranges from two to
five days at Meade, a separation off,
cial said. With the exception of men
whose records have to be straight
ened out, however, men who cans be
processed for discharge for two days
because of the number ahead of
them are being given two-day passes
to visit their families here, the off,