Evening star., 1946-01-29
Men Overseas Favor
Extension Of Draft,
Patterson Declares
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
GIs overseas today regard con-
atinuation of the draft a must,
according to Secretary of Wal
Patterson.
The men are looking to selective
service, he said, to supply their re-
placements so they can be relieved
and come home.
Back from a month-long inspec-
tion tour OF garrison forces in Eu-
rope, Asia and the Pacific, Secretary
Patterson held firmly to the War
Departments contention that the
Army can not be reduced safely
below the 100000 after midyear
and still do its job.
However, he promised that the
Army will fulfill "unconditionally''
the pledge of Gen. Eisenhower to
have all enlisted men with two
years service or 40 points discharged
or in the process of discharge by
June 80.
Meanwhile, the Senate Military
Affairs Committee was called into
closed session today to examine the
report of special Demobilization
Subcommittee to which Gen. Eisen-
hover gave that pledge. The sub
committee filed a report critical Of
the general rehabilitation program.
The committee also was occupied
with work on President Truman's
request for a merger Of the armed
forces, but strict secrecy surrounded
all preliminary groundwork on this
Legislation.
Mr.. Patterson, in reporting on his
world inspection tour to news con-
ference late yesterday, did not in
-dicate whether the War Depart
.ment planned a renewed plea to
Congress for extension of the draft,
now scheduled to expire May Is.
4. He did say that continuation OF
'selective service sis vital concern
to the men overseas.
'They feel that it must be con-
,tinued If they are to get the relief
they have earned.
deaVy Burden Denied.
I'VE will get as many as we DOS
sibly can from voluntary recruiting.
It Is OF the utmost Importance for
the future peace of the world that
the additional men be obtained.
The burden is not a heavy one for
q Nation of 100000, 900. -
The Importance of meeting this
problem squarely cannot be over
stated. The responsibility for making
sure that there is no recurrence of
war from the defeated nations is
pne that we must not evade. The
failure to assume such responsibility
after the First World War aided in
bringing on the Second World War.
We must not repeat the mistake :.
The effort will cost something, but
nothing comparable to what a fu-
ture war would cost"
: Mr.. Patterson also said:
, l. Announcement will be made in
p few days on the addition Of Aus
tralian and other British Empire
troops to Gen. MacArthur's forces
in Japan.
2. Only 200 volunteers have en-
listed for the proposed 50,0o0-man
Philippine scout force. Mr.. Patter-
son attributed this to low pay and
said he had recommended the pay
be increased from So to $25 a month
for privates.
May Seek to Keep WACS. ~
8. The War Department is con-
sidering asking Congress to provide
for the continued service of WACS.
4. He found no evidence of de-
struction of useful material.
' 5. The United States force in Italy
is to be cut from $1,000 to $4,000
by June 80 but If a peace treaty
is signed earlier all troops except
some in the air forces could be
removed before June 80.
Mr.. Patterson also said he thought
all except a few hundred air force
men could be removed from the
1ndia-Burma theater and the Mid
die East, including Egypt and North
Africa, before June 80.
Gen. Eisenhower had estimated
that the India-Burma force would
be reduced from 5000 to 1000
by that date and those in the
Middle East from $1,000 to 5000.
In the Senate Military Affairs
Committee the critical demobiliza-
ton report up for consideration was
drafted by Senators Johnson, Demo-
crat, of Colorado; Briggs, Demo-
crat, OF Missouri, and Revercomb,
Republican, of West Virginia.
This subcommittee unanimously
recommended an eight-point pro-
gram for speeding rehabilitation
after finding there were about 2,OO0,-
600 surplus soldiers and officers
in the Arny on January