The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-06-16

we ever have to tight a MAJOR war
again"
1t would stimulate recruiting.
The Selective Service Act drafted
men for 81 months. The minimum
Army enlistment term is SO months.
! Would men enlist for SO months IN
order to escape a 21-month draft?
A draft act is needed as sub
stitute for the inadequate" vol
unteer methed.
The volunteer method is not ade-
quate On the contrary, in spite OF
persistent efforts on the part of the
Army to reduce enlistments, they
have continued high. Here is the
record:
October, 1s4s: The Army stopped
accepting first enlistments of men
with dependents.
January, 1949: The Army an
nounced it would accept no more
two-year enlistments.
February, 1949: The Army an
nounced it would accept only 5000
enlistments in February, and pro-
posed a reduced advertising budget
for recruiting in the fiscal year 1850.
March, 1949: The Army announced
it would accept no enlistments or re-
enlistments of men with dependents
unless qualified for the rank of cor
poral or higher.
March, I94s: The United States
News reports: "The Army and Air
Force have raised physical standards
and accept only men scoring 80 or
above on the mental test Even
with the higher standards the Army
and Air Force have about third
more eligible applicants than they
can use.'
September 30, 1949: The Army
it would accept no more
re-enlistments from unmarried men
who had not achieved the rank of
Private First Glass during their first
regular enlistment.
Peacetime CONSUMPTION is. neces-
sary to build up a reserve.
On November 81, 1949, the Army |
announced a cutback in the Active
Reserve program because there would |
not be enough money to pay the large |
of men attracted to the Re- |
serve program.
The Army National Guard, also a
reserve component, reached its cell
ing of 100000 in 1949 strictly
through voluntary enlistments, and
that it could organize no
lew units until more money was APP
by Congress.
Obviously, therefore, not only
could the Army not use Selective Ser
nee to expand the reserve, but, as
n its own regular forces, cannot
handle all the voluntary enlistments
low available.
Allowing the Selective Service
Act to expire would be ''inconsis-
tent" with Atlantic Pact and the
Military Aid program.
Unless the Army has plans which
has not revealed to Congress
nd the nation, this is so obviously
weak argument. Any encourage
nent which the MAP countries get
rom the military strength of the {
United States will come from the
ctual size and strength of the armed
Navy, and Air Force {
rather than from incorporating I
lw kept on the books purely for an {
If the Army has plans, as has Il
cen rumored, to send American c
oys abroad to serve term in v
oreign armies for morale" pur- n
oses, then this should be clearly a
lated and opened for debate by t
ongress and the country. Ameri- t
an troops now are stationed in a
urope, without draft act, and
lere has been no proposal to in l.
ease their number should the draft o
: extended In fact, Gen. Omar
radley, when the Military Assist t
ice Program was under considera- t
on, told Congress that the United a
,ates' major responsibility in a fu- e
re war would be for air and naval
,eration, and that "the hard core