Evening star., 1949-12-01
Army Cuts Recruiting,
Navy Plans 10 Release
Most Of lis Reserviists
By John A. Giles

By John A. Giles
The Army has placed new re-
strictions on its recruiting and the
Navy is considering releasing most
of its reservists and retired per-
sonnel now on active duty in new
economy-dictated moves, it was
learned today.
Disclosure that the Army would
accept only 5000 volunteers in De-
cember came as the service began
to release all its peacetime
draftees.
At the same time. a high de-
fense official said there were NO
present plans to allow the Navy to
strengthen any more of its 10000
ton Essex class carriers after an
$s0,0oo,oo0 conversion Job is COM
pleted on two of them.
With the Improvement of the
two additional flattops, the Navy
will have five of the Essex class
and three of the 45,000-ton Mid
way class which will be able to
operate planes up to 26 tons and
defense officials have taken the
position that is sufficient number
of such carriers now.
$4,000 Reduction Seen.
BY reducing the number Of its
recruits and gradually releasing
the 10000 men indicted and fe-
cruited under the Selective Serv-
ice Act, the Army seeks to reduce
its strength to 100000 officers and
men which. it is anticipated, will
be provided in the budget for the
fiscal year beginning next July l.
Such an Army would represent a
reduction of about $4,000 men
from the present strength. In Oc-
tober the Army recruited 1907
men.
The Army said the program
would effect $4,000 inductees and
5000 men who volunteered for
81 months under the draft law.
The first to be released today are
the men who were drafted or who
volunteered in the Army's call for
10000 men in November, 1948.
They will be followed by the men
who were called in December, 1948,
and January, 1949. They will be
released as they complete II
months service. No draft calls
were issued after January, 1949.
The Army said 400 ROTC grad
uate officers who were called to
active duty for 81 months under
the draft act also would be re-
leased from active duty on COM
pletion of IL months service.
The Navy. like the, Army, also is
considering a number of moves to
bring about a gradual reduction in
its ranks. One of these is the
release to inactive duty. with very
few exceptions, Of all reserve and
retired personnel.
6,929 Reservists on Duty.
At present there are 6,929 re-
servists and ia retired personnel
on active duty in the Navy.
= Structural work on the Essex
class carriers make them almost
equal to the big Midway carriers
in their primary function of
launching top efficiency combat
planes-some Of them jet-pro-
PEELED. = The alterations include
strengthening Of deck supports,
enlarging elevators. increasing
fuel storage space. improving
damage control compartmenta-
tion, and providing larger cata-
pults to improve plane Launching
efficiency.
But with the improvement Of
five such vessels either completed
or soon to be completed, it is felt
that such large expenditures can
be used more advantageously else
where. The Navy has shown re-
newed interest in its assigned role
of submarine and anti-Submarine
warfare since completion of the
House uniflcation investigation
and 1t appears likely that more Of
its money will be channeled into
such activities In the future.
In another defense development,
Gen. j. Lawton Collins disclosed
how the ground forces were being
revamped to fight war in the
atomic age. The Army Chief of
Staff told a news conference yes
terday about new tanks, new guns
and new tactics, including a "seri-
GUS study" of the possibility OF
using the atomic bomb to blast
enemy infantry on the battlefield.
Airborne Operations.
He also reaffirmed his faith In
the value of paratroop and glider
infantry, saying that airborne op-
erations will play very impor-
tant role in any future war" >
The generals cryptic comment
on the A-bomb suggested that a
drastic change in basic theory may
be in the making. It posed, also,
the question of whether new dis
coveries may have been made in
controlling the size of an atom
bomb burst and about the radia-
ton of deadly energy from the
explosion. ....s-.
Heretofore, the atom bomb has
been rated too dangerous for the
attacker, and too expensive for
tactical use as a routine battle
field weapon.
Gen. Collins also said the Army
was buying a number of 28-ton
tanks for training and was build
ing a 35-ton medium tank for
testing. He added that it was now
getting some new anti-aircraft
guns.
Each commander of the six
armies in the United States now
l.>c .,,&L or;fx, %o foLa ivSevvr odio Re-