Evening star., 1948-06-28

will give all inductees and volunteers
an opportunity for promotion to
non commissioned grades. Inductees
and volunteers also will have a
chance to go to Officers candidate
schools leading to commissions in
the active Reserev and possibly In
the Regular Army.
Some to Go In Regular Army.
About 10 per cent Of those COM
pleting OCS will be eligible for di-
rect appointment as officers OF the
Regular Army, he said.
Housing will be provided in time
to care for the expanded Army by
the time that the first inductees ar
rive" Secretary Royal continued.
1--WE haven't much money for Army
housing, but the facilities will be
reasonably comfortable. We will not
coddle the men. but will care for
them adequately"
AS for equipment and training
methods, Secretary Royal said most
OF the equipment will be from the
wartime stocks, but the training
in every particular will be "as
modern as possible" He added that
the Army probably will not be able
to use some of the most advanced
types OF weapons for training during
the next fiscal year, but all the
men will be given an idea OF the
latest weapons and methods.
Six Guard Units Get Priority.
As for discipline and the general
supervision of the men, Secretary
Royal said, the Army will not be
harsh" and will provide recrea-
tional, educational and religious
facilities. The educational plans, he
added, include organized classes IN
general subjects and also corre-
spondence courses If requested by
men.
The designation of six National
Guard divisions to be maintained at
full strength does not mean that
other National Guards, such as the
District organization, will be ne
elected, Secretary Royal said. The
six. however, will receive priority in
weapons, supplies and training IA
cilities. so that they can take their
place, if necessary in an emergency,
as a highly trained force.
National Guard recruiting will be
continued 80 far as men outside the
draft age are concerned" Secretary
Royal said, but as a practical mat
ter the acceptance of Guard enlist
ments may have to be limited be-
cause almost all OF the Guards
throughout the country now are up
to their authorized manpower
strength. We have no intention of
disbanding or neglecting the other
National Guard units, but we Sc
lected six for priority training be-
cause they, in general, were IN the
greatest state of readiness"
Won't Designate Race in Calls.
Those six National Guard divi-.
sions are the 26th, Massachusetts,;
18th. Pennsylvania; the 31st of Ala
bama and Mississippi; the 43rd, in
Rhode Island, Connecticut and Yer
mont; the 18th, in Oklahoma, and.
the 49th, in Texas.
In reply to questions, Secretary
Royal gave the following nforma-
ton:
There is nothing in the draft law
to exempt q Communist from mill
tary service, but well have to eval-
uate whether a mans activities in
civilian life are subversive."
The Army will make draft calls
without any designation Of race or
color" Other phases of this racial
matter are still being
studied.
Commenting later in a formal
statement on race segregation, Sec
retary Royal said. "our policy must
continue to be the employment of
Negro troop units of appropriate
size and conformation in the best
interests of overall efficiency. There
will be equality of opportunity and
lack of discrimination between
races"
No Need Of Controls Now.
The Army sees nothing at the
present time to indicate that it
should make use of the draft law
provision allowing priorities and al
location controls to assure produc-
ton of materials for the expanded
armed forces.
The Army has difficult prob
lem" in trying to find at least 5000
doctors and dentists, and, as last
resort. may have to call back into
service "a substantial number" Of
men whose education was
financed in whole or in part by the
Government.
Secretary Royal later issued q
series of questions and answers
which stated, for instance. that:
Army draftees will not be able
to transfer to the Air Force or Navy.
Inductees will have 80 days a year
leave, the same as Of
ficers and enlisted men in the Reg
ular Army. They probably will have
little opportunity to visit home dur
ing the basic training period.
State Departments Art,
n RAp