Evening star., 1945-08-23
Air Forces Plan 10 Cut
Strength by 100000
Men During Next Year

Men During Next Year
A cut of 1,400,0 in Army Air
Forces personnel over the next
IL months was in prospect to-
day, while in another demobiliza-
tion development decreased
needs for manpower in the Pa
ciflc promised to keep out of
that theater approximately l.
100000 who otherwise would
have seen service.
Maj. Gen. Fred l.. Anderson, as
sistant chief of air staff, said in a
radio talk last night that the AAF,
now 100000 strong, ultimately
plans to get down to about 100000
as conditions permit. The peak
discharge rate will approximate
10000 monthly, he said.
The officer added that the AAF is
screening enlisted men with more
than IS discharge points and WACS
with more than 43, out of units in
tended for overseas service, plus
enlisted personnel 81 years or older.
18th to Release Men.
Meanwhile, it was learned at the
War Department that soldiers of
the 29th Division with IS points or
more, perhaps numbering several
thousand, most of them from the
District. Virginia and Maryland.
soon will be sent home instead of
being kept in the Army of Occu-
patton in Germany.
A War Department spokesman
said it was not known how many
men we're affected. but presumably
a substantial number of the vet
eran division, which has been in
foreign service nearly three years
and fought across France into Ger
many.
While 1000 of these soldiers were
reported to have petitioned the
Army overseas paper, the Stars and
Stripes, protesting against remain
ing overseas, it was denied here
that there ever was any intention
of keeping high-point men in Ger
many.
Army Denies Pressure.
In this connection, the War De-
partment said today that the end of
the Pacific war land not pressure
brought by individuals" has made
possible the early return of soldiers
In Europe with high point scores.
1t. Col. William B. Arthur of the
Public Relations Bureau issued
statement in which it said IAN ar
ticle in Washington paper this
morning indicated that the protests
Of some 5000 men in the 29th Di-
vision in the European theater had
resulted in their being given an
earlier date for return to the United
States
Referring to the newspaper story,
the War Department said such a
report, if not based on fact, is merely
an encouragement to hundreds of
thousands of other soldiers to fol-
low the same procedure, which
clearly would have a very serious
effect on the morale and good order
Of the Army.
Telegram Is Quoted.
The department quoted from a
telegram sent by Gen. George C.
Marshal, chief of staff, to Gen.
Eisenhower and his aides in Europe
on August 10, which told them that
when Japan capitulated they were
Immediately to reverse the priori-
ties for movement of organizations
and men to the United States. In
general terms first priority must
go instanter to men for demobiliza-
ton. second priority to low score
men required as replacements for
zone of interior installations in
the United States"
The ETO headquarters was ad-
vised that 'in the interest of prompt
return of the greatest number of
people you should return all with
the score of IS or over, and make
plans to return those with a score
of IS or over, if necessary to fill
available shipping
SJtH OHltS 10 transfer.
Those of the 29th Division with
IS points or more, it was explained.
are being transferred to the 69th
Division. which is scheduled for
early return to the United States.
The 29th will be refilled with re-
placements from other divisions who
have not been in foreign service
The 69th Division is scheduled to
return some time next month. Re-
ports that this outfit had been des-
ignated to remain overseas. for
months longer were denied. 1t also
was indicated that confusion over
the return of 10Th Division veter-
ans may have resulted in the or
ganization's orders to stay in Ger
many indefinitely. Many soldiers
with high points probably assumed
wrongly that they would have to re-
main with it.
The AAF will replace high point
overseas men with low-point men
and volunteers AS soon as over
seas units are reduced to postwar
strength, rotation system will
limit overseas duty to two years or
less, Gen. Anderson said.
Earlier, the AAF disclosed that
surplus officers with point scores
ranging from 36 to 10. depending on
rank, are being discharged on re-
quest.
The points necessary for discharge