Evening star., 1946-06-21
A-o THE EVENING STAR, Washington, D. c.
II,
Congress Ratification
OF Draft Compromise
Expected Next Week
ByJ. A. O'Leory

ByJ.A. oLeory
The House and Senate are ex.
pected to ratify next week the
compromise extension of the
draft law from July / to next
March 81, with age limits fixeo
at 19 to As, and accompanying
pay raises for all members of the
armed forces.
The compromise came suddenly
yesterday afternoon, after stormy
conference battle, in which the
House sought to exempt all teen
Sge youths, while the Senate urged
a return to the 18-year age limit
which prevailed until the law was
temporarily extended from May Is
to June 80.
The current temporary act con-
fines induction to those between 20
and 30.
50 Per Cent Pay Increase.
To ease the extension through
Congress, it will be accompanied
by so per cent pay increase for
buck privates and apprentice sea-
men. with a graduated scale of
percentage increases for all higher
ranks.
Even the 19-year-old compromise
bottom age limit will encounter
some opposition in the House, but
with all of the House conferees ex-
cept one signing it, the agreement
is believed to have a good chance
Of going to the President without
further change. No difficulty is
foreseen in the Senate.
Although the pay increases are
being handled as separate bill,
they were approved by the same
conferees who handled the draft
extension, and the settlement of one
depended on approval of the other.
The new pay rates will be: Pri-
Yates and apprentice seamen, $75 a
month; private first class and sea-
man second class, $50; corporal and
seaman first class, $50; 4th grade
sergeant and third class petty
officer, $100; third grade sergeant
and second class petty officer, Sis;
second grade sergeant and first
class petty officer. s135; chief petty
officer (acting appointmenD, $3.50;
first grade sergeant and chief petty
officer, $165.
Warrant officer junior grade and
hight officer, Army; warrant officer,
Navy: second mates and second
assistant engineer, Army Mine
Planter Service, $3.50.
First mate and first assistant
engineer, Army Mine Planter Serv-
ice, $195.
Chief warrant officer, Army; COM
missioned warrant officer, Navy Qess
than 10 years service). S210.
Commissioned warrant officers
with 10 years in the Navy, Marine
Corps and Coast Guard; masters
and chief engineers, American Mine
Planter Service, $220.
Commissioned warrant officers
With 20 years, Navy, Marine Corps
and Coast Guard, $275.
Higher Officers Raised. -
First and second lieutenants, en-
Signs and lieutenants q. g. get
20 per cent increase; captains in the
Army and Navy lieutenants, IS per
cent; majors and all higher ranks
10 per cent.
Increases for officers are on base
pay only, and do not change their
rent and subsistence allowances.
The cost of the pay increases is
estimated at $632, ,000, 900 a year, ano
the lawmakers hope the higher pay
7.ill be an inducement to boost the
l,umber of volunteers and thereby
enable the Army to get by with the
smaller manpower pool it will have
~ the draft boards with the 18-year-
odds excluded.
The conference agreement retains
the Senate provision fixing limit
on the size of the Army at $780, 900
On July /, 1916, and 100000 on
July /, 1947. 1t also provides that
czlly sufficient men will be inducted
to meet the Army's quotas, after
counting the number of volunteers
IL the preceding three months.
Although the conferees had been
discussing compromises under which
IS and 19-year-old registrants would
he taken last, the final agreement
places no strings on the draft boards
s-s to the order in which they shall
call up age groups, starting at 10.
The conference bill also retains
5t1e provision under which fathers
row in the service may be released
upon request after August l.