Evening star., 1946-09-29
Army Studying Plans
For Officer Attrition
AT Rate Of $50 Yearly
By Nelson M. Shepord

Forced attrition of the Regular
Army Officer Corps to eliminate
possibly 750 to 1000 officers yearly
to maintain vital organization, .
and revision of the entire promotion
list on a basis of selection. are
highlights of legisla tive proposals
under study in top War Department
levels.
Embodying many of the so-called
reforms long advocated inside the
War Department as we'll as out
side, the new Army personnel bill
is gradually being whipped into
shape for submission to the next
Congress. Some of its features are
now reaching concrete form
Drafting of carefully balanced
promotion plan for the postwar
Army. which is said to include en-
listed men as wen as officers, was
started long before the recent re-
port of the Senate war investigating
committee which sharply criticized
some of the 'inequities" created
under existing policy. The proposed
permanent promotion plan is said
to embody desires in top War De-
partment levels to weed out the un-
fit and accelerate the promotion OF
younger officers to positions of real
responsibility.
800 Generals to Be Sought.
This appears precisely in line
with the recommendation in the
Mead report which recommended
an intensive study of personnel
matters OF the Army and Navy
Tor the purpose of setting up a pro-
motion system which will insure
that the best qualified men, regard
less OF age or seniority in service,
Will obtain the most responsible
positions.
Authority also will be sought of
congress to maintain the number
OF peace-time general officers at
300, reduction of about so under
the present number. OF the 1,54l
generals who were in the Army at
It's wartime peak, only about $50
remain, and some of these are still
holdlng temporary rank. The re-
duction was brought about through
retirement and restoration to per-
manent rank.
About half of the 500 generals
VINO are to be retained in the post
war Army, according to the plan
now under study, would be in the
grade OF major general "or higher, y
mat is in line with recent sugees-
tlons of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhow-
er, chief of staff. in memorandum
to the House Military Affairs Com
mittee. 1t said:
The number of general officers
all grades, required. in the Army in
time OF peace equals approximately
one-half per cent of the total num-
Der of officers on active duty. Fly
an Army of 100000 the number
Will be approximately 5O0.'
Maiorities to Be Speeded.
Gen. Eisenhower added, however
that about one-half of the tota,
number should be ajor generals OF
higher. For that reason, the per-
sonnel bill is expected to pave the
way for the establishment of the
grades of lieutenant general gen.
eral. or perhaps a General of the
Army, as a permanent policy. ac-
cordlng to authoritative reports.
The promotion bill, it was said
is not intended as an elimination
bill. that phase being covered by in
creasing the average yearly rate of
attrition. 1t will speed the promo
ton to the grade of major by two
year reduction In the number of
years time required in grade of CAP
tain. The aim is to get larger num-
Der of majors and this would be
accelerated by lowering the aver
age age for that rank, which is now
between AZ and 48 years.
. 1t is also proposed to give the
Air Forces a more liberal allowance
of colonies to meet the second au-
thorlzed pansion of officer
strength from $4,000 to $4,000 This
would be brOllpht about tbrouob N