Evening star., 1946-10-06

One Of the top secrets In Washington
today is the answer to single question:
'If war should break out, are our armed
forces ready to fight?"
It is an answer known to few and
hidden from many. One of the men
who has It is Secretary of State James
r. Byrnes. His opponents across the
Paris Conference table would like very
much to know whether he has the
muscle to back up his statements or
whether he is operating on bluff.
Former Senator Warren r. Austin Of
Vermont, recently appointed delegate to
the United Nations General Assembly,
says that except for our secret weapons
we are militarily helpless and that we
must restore well-trained organization
because the only power recognized in
current negotiations Is military.
The role OF armed might In diplomatic
bargaining was acknowledged recently
by Secretary Of the Navy James For
restal, who stated frankly that the Navy
is keeping forces in the Mediterranean
and Eastern Atlantic ito support United
States policies in the area"
The curiosity of other nations regard
ing our real strength Is exempli1ed by
the recent unsuccessful effort Of Andrei
A. .Gromyko, Soviet United Nations
Security Council delegate, to obtain q
world inventory Of Allied troops sta
toned in countries which were nom
enemies in the last war.
Keen Information Quiet.
It Is probable that these nations,
through their intelligence services. have
a pretty good idea where American sol
diers are deployed, how, many there are
and how good they are. Nevertheless,
until 1t becomes policy Of this Gov
ernment, our armed forces are keeping
quiet about any information they think
might be Of value to potential enemy.
This is especially true Of the Army, its
combat efficiency smashed by the point
system and its strength reduced from
more than eight million men to less than
a million and half. The Navy. reticent
on some points, can talk freely about
others, for it still is unquestionably the
worlds best.
Discussion Of the Army's strength
usually reverts to an analysis given
Congress last January by General OF
the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chief
of Staff. He described at length the
pell-mell demobilization of what he
called "the finest military organization
the world has ever seen."
Gen. Eisenhower estimated that as
of last July /, when the Army was ex-
pected to number about 1,550,000 men
there would be $4,000 overseas. These
were to include 10000 men in Europe
$4,000 in the Mediterranean area, 5000
in Africa and the Middle East, 1000 In
India and Burma, 5000 in China, 375,-
900 in the Pacific area, $4,000 in the
Alaskan department, 10000 in the Carib-
bean Defense Command and South At
lantic and 1000 in North Atlantic bases
A few other figures appear from
time to time, but do not originate In
official sources. For example, we are re-
ported to have two undermanned divi-
sions in Korea and about 25,000 Marines
in China. 1t is official that the Army
expects to keep $4,000 air and service
troops permanently on Okinawa and
10000 troops in the Philippines for
some time.
The experience and training Of pres
ent Army personnel is not on the record
Some time ago the Army reduced the
training period in this country from IL
to 13 weeks for overseas replacements,
and later cut it still further to eight
weeks. Training is continued overseas
Last June Senator Edwin G. johnson
OF Colorado, in arguing for pay In
creases to lure more career men" into
the Army, prepared what he called
military manpower balance sheets for
last July / and for next July !. when
the Army's authorized strength will be
cut down to 1O70, 900 and held at that
figure. AS Of the former date, he esti-
mated Army personnel would include
10000 drafted men with less than SIX
months service. 10000 with less than
10 months, but more than six, and
ATS 900 with more than 70 months, but
less than 18.
The 1,070, ,0O0-man Army is expected
to remain constant as long as occupation
forces are necessary. 1t will be divided
into $4,000 men in the ground and
service forces and 100000 in the air
forces. About 10000 air force men will
be stationed overseas and about 1886, 900
ground and service troops.
The estimate Of 200 ground troops
is based on the assumptions that people
in occupied countries will remain tract
able, that Horsepower occupation will
continue In Germany and that Britain.
China and the philippines eventually