Evening star., 1950-08-25
Typical Letter.


evolved.
Typical Letter.
Here is a typical letter received
by this correspondent from a Re-
servist in st. Louis
II am a lieutenant in the Naval
Reserve and have been active in
the program. I am now "a years
old and have three small children
-6 and 3 years and 18 months old.
Also am now at the point in my
business where I am getting a
better than average remuneration.
Time lost, even in the service, will
certainly not enhance my progress.
Nov, while not yet having re-
ceived orders. am faced with the
prospect of being away-at sea, at
an advanced base, or some place
distant from my family. Thirty
two months I served in the second
war, the last 20 of them being at
sea. And I want to say that if
this present thing flames out into
a Wholesale war, you can just
consider this letter never written.
For I would much prefer being
in than out if these were the
circumstances.
"The disturbing thing to me is
that those of us with dependents
hear nothing from any source
about billets, nor is any program
being even envisioned that will let
us out after we have served a
reasonable length of time. On the
contrary, a friend of mine was told
last month by the Navy that they
were accepting no more applica-
tions for commissions in my field
supply. And where does that
leave those of us that are in?"
1t was understandable a few
weeks ago that the top military
chiefs would be busy getting men
to the Far East and that they
might not be able then to reveal
how long period of service might
be required of Reservists. But the
Secretaries of the Army, Navy and
Air Force have had ample oppor-
tun1ty since then to survey the
situation and develop some alter
native program for requirements.
There has been, it will be noted,
time to draw up plans for and ad-
vocate legislation creating a sys-
tenn Of universal military training.
While this is desirable, it is a Sec
ond and not first step. At the
moment what is needed is for
some top agency to begin to bring
order out Of chaos into which the
whole Reserve situation has been
plunged.
The Army has enough officers
In ats Organized Reserves to I'LL the
needs Of "a divisions at 80 per cent
of strength. This is in addition
to the National Guard, which can
supply officer needs for an equally
large force. On the face Of things,
therefore. there would appear to
be plenty of officers for a system
6f rotation with a year or 18
months of duty in filling the needs
Of the small number of Army units
now being mobilized.
Plenty of Reserves.
The same thing is true of the
Navy and the Air Force-there are
plenty of Reserves on the active
and inactive list. Also a large
number of officers have cvae out
of the Reserve Officers Training
Corps in the colleges during the
last five years who were too young
to see service in World War II.
They would seem to be available
for use soon as substitutes for
some of the older officers.
If, Of course, large-scale war
breaks out, then it will be neces-
sary to have officers with combat
experience. But this need not pre-
vent the early development and
announcement Of a plan for re-
placement of officers and men so
that, unless emergencies occur,
the Reservists can be told now to
plan on definite period of duty
either enc year or 18 months. Most
of them, if they were given some
such assurance, could then feel
less concern about family ar
rangementS in the interim or
about the possibility that their
places in business or in their pro-
fessions might not be held for
them.
The Government certainly owes
the Reservists more cooperation
and better planning than has thus
far been given the subject by the
persons in authority in the three
armed services.