Evening star., 1946-01-15
Men With as Points or w Years
To Be Out April 3d. Those With
40 Points or 2 Years by June 30
Eisenhower ellis
Congress Members
OfArmy Plan

Gen.. Eisenhower told Con-
greSS today that all GIs with As
points or 80 months service will
be discharged or on their way
home by April 80.
Those with 40 points or "a months
service will be out or aboard home
bound ships by June 80, the Chief of
Staff promised Senators and Repre-
sentatives at an informal meeting
in the Library of Congress, also ad-
dressed by Admiral Nimitz, Chief of
Naval Operations.
The new point score, taken from
a directive prepared today for the
ater commanders, represents re-
duction from the prevailing require
ment of so points or 40 months
service.
Comments of Showdown.
Commenting on the showdown in
rehabilitation which set off GI
demonstrations Of protest in Europe
and in Manila, Gen. Eisenhower
said the Spectacular success" of
dismantling Americas vast Army
between VI day and January l
was rapidly approaching the fore
seen juncture of two incompatibles. y
These, he said, were 'the speed
Of demobilization and our duties at
home and overseas-the occupation
mission delegated to us by higher
authority and the protection and
disposal of millions of tons of Gov
ernment property throughout the
world, representing billions of dol
lars in'American taxpayers money y
In addition to his blueprint for
point and service rehabilitation
over the next five months, Gen.
Eisenhower promised that every
surplus" man would be released
right away" unless his point score
is so low that he could replace a
man with more points.
He warned the members of Con-
gress that because of the surplus
plan they would receive some let
ters saying low-point men were
being let out, but he said that "oc-
casional injustice cannot be avoided. $
100000 Men Affected.
Gen. Eisenhower pointed out that
release of men with 80 months
service meant the discharge of
100000 men by the end of April
and an additional 100000 by July
He added:
Should we fail to obtain the
100000 men we require on July l,
something would have to break in
the tight little net which we have
now woven to perform our job in
this country and discharge the
Nations overseas commitments.
IF we are not relieved of the
still huge supplies of Government
property intrusted to our custody
overseas, we shall have no choice
but to abandon them where they
lie."
Point Plan for Officers.
The directive which Gen. Eisen-
hover read to the members of Con-
gress also provides that male Of
fcers with Ct points or 45 months
service will be eligible for release on
April 80 and those with IS points OF
~ months service will be eligible
for release on June 80. At present
male officers need 10 points or 4
years service.
ALI enlisted WACS with "a months
service will be released or on their
way home by April 80 and all WAC
officers with 36 months service viii
be eligible for release on April 30
Enlisted WACS now need 80 points
or 80 months service for discharge
and WAC officers need 80 months
service.
The directive said that separate
instructions would be issued for the
discharge of WACS after April 81
and that separate criteria will be
established for Medical Corps Of
flcers.
Reason for Slowup.
The reason for the recently or
dered demobilization sloWup, Gen
Eisenhower thus summed up:
IF we were to continue shipping
men home at the rate we reached
during the last few months, abou
April we would have nothing left
but a woefully inadequate number
of volunteers-we would literally
have run out of Army That i
the reason for the showdown"
He added: There is no change il
policy-there is no change in plan
We have merely reached point il
the pursuance of our plans anc
policies which we knew we mus
face when the time came Tha
time is now.
I'VE took all possible steps to NEE
inescapable needs without slowin!
the pace of demobilization W.
pressed the recruiting campaign II
the utmost in order to bring volun
teers into the Army who could TAX
the place of those overseas. W
urged that positive steps be tak<l
to provide us our full quotas o
$4,000 men monthly through the Sc
lective service system. We require,
all theater commanders overseas +
institute the most searching drive +
cut down their estimate in man
power needed for occupation duties
for supply and for the extensiv
personnel required to close up over
seas depots, ports, warehouse.
bases"
Admiral Nimitz, who followe
(See Disqualification, Pg. AS.
hT II fJ nlls