Evening star., 1948-06-24
Guard EnIistments TOP
Quota While Draft Bill
Awaits Signature

tion's new selective service bill re-
manned opened today and volun-
teers anxious for exemption from
its provisions continued to food
National Guard and Reserve recruit
ing Offices.
Under the terms of the bill passed
by Congress last Saturday, National
Guardsmen and Organized Reserv-
lists are exempt if they have joined
before President Truman signs the
measure.
The bill finally reached Mr.. Tru-
mans desk late yesterday, the
White House disclosed today. He
has until midnight of July 5 to
sign it,
Approval is regarded as certain,
since Mr.. Truman himself asked
Congress to revive selective service.
The White House has not directly
indicated when the President will
act, but Omar B. Ketchum. legiSla-
tive service director of the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, said last night ne
had information from sources close
to the President" that he will take
the full 10 days allowed for con-
sideration. tSundays and holidays
don't count)
Selective service officials. mean
while, estimated that draft regis
tration would start about August l6
and that actual drafting of men 10
through rs would begin early in
October. The legislation provides
that no men will be drafted until 90
days after the bill becomes law.
Guard Already Over Quota.
The food of enlistments in the
National Guard pushed its enroll
ment beyond the quota of 345,425
fixed by appropriations. Guard Of
ficlals, however, emphasized that
they could not increase the quotas
in conformity with requests of the
District National Guard and others
because there just isn't any money
for it.
It all depends on Congress whether
the extra men already in the Guard
are financially provided for, officers
in the National Guard Bureau said.
The District Guard, according to
the bureau. has just about reached
its assigned strength of 1858. The
air units, however. reported 288 va
cancies remaining and announced
that recruiting would continue at
1406 G street NV.
Col. Peyton G. hewitt, District
Guard adjutant general said yetser-
DAYS enliStments totaled 1872.
Recruiting Will Continue.
Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox, COM
manding general of the District
units, said recruiting here would
continue through today at least. He
expressed the opinion that some OF
the over-quota enlistments would be
taken care of by the regular rate OF
attrition. especially during the sum-
mer camp periods.
I'VE are getting a very high type
of man right now and I don't want
to stop recruiting until we abso-
lutely have to-" Gen. Cox said.
Recruiting for ground units of the
District Guard is taking place at the
Armory, East Capitol and Twentieth
streets.
The Organized Naval Reserve at
the Naval Gun Factory, having
processed nearly 800 applicants since
Monday, was nearly filled, but was
taking a few specialists.
Other Units Nearing Limit.
Late yesterday the Naval Air Re-
serve at Anacostia Naval Air Sta
ton had only 20 millets left over
in an overall complement of 1895
1t. Col. John A. Fondahl. COM
mander Of the 5th Marine Reserve
Battalion at 23o G street NV, said
he had about so vacancies to meet
a quota of some $40 men.
The flow of applicants was not
very great at either of Army reserve
stations, Tenth street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue NV, and the All
Force office. 213l C street NV, The
Army and Air Force had no reports
of a heavy influx of volunteers to
its reserve units all over the Nation.
To a lesser degree, recruiting for
the Regular Army, Navy, Air Force
and Marine Corps showed a rise,
but no figures are available on the
number enlisted in the last few
daVS