Evening star., 1948-03-18
Draft Prospect Faces
100000 Men in
f8-to-G Age Bracket
by John A. Giles

B-to.b Age Bracket.
by John A. Gle.
About 3,00o,000 men between
10 and Is face the prospect of
being drafted into the armed
services and many of them al
ready are inquiring at recruiting
ofiices.
Aides to Secretary Of Defense
Torrestal spoke Of the age bracket
being placed at from IS to Is, and
Chairman Andrews Of the House
Armed Services Committee said to-
day that without calling up World
War II veterans, 100000 men in
that bracket could be drafted If
needed.
However, to bring the Army, Navy,
Air Force and Marine Corps to
present full authorized strength,
only 34s,275 men would have to be
drafted under the temporary selec-
tive service law proposed by Pres
tdent Truman.
As expected by some military
leaders, the immediate effect of the
Presidents proposal was renewed in
terest on the part of America S
young men in the voluntary recruit
ing stations. But mostly, recruit
ing officers reported, they just
wanted information. In Minneap-
oils, Chicago, New York and Port
land, Me, recruiting officers re-
ported an influx of men.
Meanwhile, in Salem, Greg, Mai
Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, director OF
the ONCE of Selective Service Rec
ords, said the Nation could begin
the orderly drafting of men within
IS to 60 days after Congressional
passage of selective service law
He said that drafting could begin
more quickly IF we had an emer-
sency."
Gen. Hershey's executive officer,
Col. Daniel o. Omer, conceded OSSR
had been caught unawares by the
Presidents proposal. An entirely
new draft machine would have to
be set up. and it would take at least
go days to get it functioning, he said
Large Role for Army.
There is no doubt, however, that
the Army would have large part in
drafting the bill and already has
decided on just what age brackets
TO recommend. An aide to Secre-
tary Forrestal pointed out the
Army has the most to gain by
seIective service and has done
much to prepare legislation for uni
versal military training.
While officials were not prepared
to discuss details of any training
now, the Army is known to have
four centers in operation at this
time for. training recruits as re-
placements in the Regular Army.
These centers are at Fort Jackson,
s. c.; Fort Knox, KY; Fort Ord,
Calf, and Camp Dix. N. j.. The
assumption is that, if selective serv-
ice is revived, the limited number
OF inductees could be trained at
those existing centers.
The training program is under
the overall supervision of Gen. Jacob
L. Devers. In a recent reorganiza-
tion move. the Army abolished the
wartime Army Ground Forces" I"
which Gen. Devers headed. Gen
Devers also was relieved of num-
ber of administrative functions, in
cluding command of the six Armies
In the United States, and was di-
rected to give his attention chiefly
TO the training program.
The only existing law defining the
size of the Army and Air Force is
an amendment to the 1910 Selective
Service Act. Under that law, the
combined Army-Air Force size was
set at 1,070,000 as Of July l, 1947
An agreement between the two
forces provides $50 900 for the Army,
4o1 900 for the Air Force.
The Army's current strength is
$4,000 and the Air Force, limited
by the budget. has $4,000 officers
and men.
The Nays authorized strength
is $4,000 officers and men. On
March 1, the Navy had 1872, 900 Of
ficers and men.
The Marine Corps authorized
strength totals 108, 400 officers and
men, as against the present strength
OF 80,925 officers and men.
Delay I'm UNIT Training.
The draft, if enacted, would be
used TO bring the three services
up to current authorized strength.
Aides to Mr.. Forrestal estimated
that, even If UNIT became law i'm
mediately, an actual start on the
training program would not be pos
sible before January l, and then
another year would elapse before
the effect of such training on the
Army would be felt.
Some officials suggested that, If a
draft and UNIT went into effect,
veterans Of the last war might be
asked to volunteer as training in
structors to prevent draining man.
power from the regular forces.
There will be no effort to draft
veterans, however. they believed.
Records on World War II draftees
would be Of "debatable value" and
those 1S-year r-olds registered just
prior to demobilization likely would
have 10 be registered again because
their status, would have changed
In many instances, Col. Omer said.
The old draft boards ceased to
exist last March 81, and SO new
boards would have to be appointed.
The OSSR does have a nucleus for
State headquarters stats.
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