Evening star., 1947-12-10
Defense Heads Drive
For Congress- Action
On Universal Trainino
By John A. Giles

&4A k|etA o4SA bN6d14 w ulOfC INV
high gear today in concerted effort,
with veterans organizations and
other interested groups, to obtain
passage of the universal military
training bill at the session of Con-
gress convening in January.
The Army Is particularly enthusi-
astic about the results of it's Fort
Knox Universal Military Training
Unit and has named the units COM
mander, Maj. Gen. John M. Devine,
to be commanding general of all
organization and training for Army
ground forces at Fort Monroe, Va,
1t was learned.
An assistant to Defense Secretary
Forrestal said some technical or
clarifying amendments to the pend
ing universal training bill by Repre-
sentative Towe, Republican, of New
Jersey. to bring it into line with
unification probably will be sought.
He added that study is being made
to see whether any other amend
ments should be offered.
Mr.. Forrestal has come out en-
phatically for universal training but
has never commented directly on
the Towe bill, which embraces all
the features of the proposals by the
Presidential appointed Compton
committee approved by the House
Armed Services Committee.
Hearings After January l.
The Senate Armed Services Com
mittee is expected to begin hear
ing on similar bill shortly after
January ! and several amendments
proposed by veterans and religious
groups, the National Guard Associ-
alton and reserve organizations may
be offered there or from the House
floor. The military services are not
expected to offer any serious objejc-
ton to these suggested changes.
A leading veterans organization
will poll members of Congress dur
ing Christmas week to determine
their feelings toward universal
training, it was learned.
The Army touched off its CAM
paign tor UNIT yesterday when
speaker after speaker, including
Secretary Royal, told meeting of
IS leading women's organizations OF
the poor personnel standing of the
service and the need for the new
law.
Calls Striking Force Weak.
Maj Gen. Manton S. Eddy, chief
OF information, told the women the
United States mobile striking force
is "pitifully weak-only two and a
third Observation-Disclosures which are
not up to strength"
The Army consistently has had
difficulty obtaining enough recruits
in recent months while the Air
Force has been running ahead of
quotas. The Navy has been only
slightly below needs.
Mr.. Forrestal will correlate the
efforts of the services in the drive
for the measure for, as an assistant
in his Office said, universal train
ing is not just an Army bill-all the
services are greatly interested, and
some of the other Government de-
partments may have primary inter-
ests as we'll"
Whether we get universal train
ing or not, the things we have
learned at Fort Knox will be and
already are of enormous value in
training" one high-ranking Army
officer said. THE experiment has
brought about a different approach
to training on the highest moral
and religious plane.
Higher Tpye Of Men.
THE results OF this has been that
We will get asfar higher type Of men
In the service and the men, when
their enlistments are up, will go
back to civilian life as far better
citizens" he said.
He added that the venereal disease
rate at Fort Knox had been the
lowest "of any service anywhere"
At present The Army is sending
selected officers and men to Fort
Knox for three days of observation
so that they will be familiar with
the training techniques and can
place them in effect at replacement
centers whether UNIT is passed or
not.
A total of 668 men graduated from
the Fort Knox experimental school
last June and are now in the Army
and a similar number will go out
this month. A third class will begin
training there in January,