Evening star., 1946-04-08
Army Expected
ToTakeAdvice
Of GRIPPE Board
Some Reforms AIreud,
Ordered in Effort to
Meet Complaints
BY the Associated Press

Secretary of War Patterson and
Gen. Eisenhower were represented
by associates today as inclined to
go along with any recommendations
by the Doolittle "GI-Gripe" board
which promise to correct Army
abuses and make military life more
attractive.
They already have acted to answer
In advance number of the princi-
pal complaints heard by the Officers
caste inquiry board head by 1t.
Gen. James H. Doolittle.
An announcement that the Army
Air Forces contemplates relieving
enlisted men of potato peeling and
other kitchen police duty is the lat
est of series of official actions
aimed in that direction.
By one new order, Army officers
and men will wear the same uni
form, except for identifying in
sigma, after mid-1943
Court Martial Overhaul.
A group of civilian lawyers will
courts martial procedure, with an
eye to the contention that military
justice has been more severe with
men in the ranks than with officers.
To correct wartime injustices a
system of clemency boards headed
by former Supreme Court Justice
Owen J. Roberts is currently re-
viewing individually the cases of
some $4,000 general courts martial
prisoners.
To bring Army pay in line with
civilian salaries the War Depart
ment is pressing Congress now for
straight 20 per cent increase for all
ranks.
Terminal Leave Pay Endorsed.
The department has indorsed
legislation which would pay enlisted
men, like officers, a lump sum in
cash for unused accumulated leave
time, when they quit the service
The Budget Bureau, however has
baked at the estimated cost OF sew
eral billions to make such terminal
leave pay retroactive.
The Doolittle board finished it's
hearings Thursday. Its report, to
be submitted next month, is eX
peCted to confront War Department
pOlicymakerS with recommendations
for further reforms to make the
peacetime Army more democratic
The chief additional reform pro-
posals made by witnesses include:
Chaplains should be civilians
rather than officers. to eliminate a
barrier of rank felt by some GIs.
GI Statement of Rights.
Army inspectors general likewise
should be civilians, to avoid pres
sure from officers with superior
rank, and should be more accessible
to enlisted men.
The enlisted man should have
specific statement of his rights to
protect him from abuse of rank by
officers.
Promotions should be in a straight
line from private to general, with
out the present sharp cleavage be-
tween enlisted and commissioned
status.
Enlisted men should not be re-
quired to perform such menial tasks
as acting as orderly for an officer.
Same Food for All.
The same food and comparable
quarters should be provided for all
ranks.
Social distinctions should be
wiped out after hours and compare
bic Clubs provided for enlisted men
Enlisted men should serve on
martial.
Speaking privately, some Western
Regular Army men with peacetlme
garrison as we'll as active war eX-
perience foresee stubborn official op-
position to most OF the proposals.
should they be recommended. To
a few of the suggestions, objections
appear slight.
Stripping chaplains of their Off
GERS rank would return them to the
status they once held. Civilians as
inspectors general might be handi-
capped in reporting on such strictly
ullllIdlS lidIIelS DIS bdCtlCdl u dll1llS
Under long standing procedure, en-
listed men already are advised when
an inspector general is available for
complaints.
Enlisted men have a general state
ment of their rights in an official
guide distributed to recruits, Army
Life There might be little OBJ
jections to spelling the rights out
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