Evening star., 1950-09-22
Pentagon Committee
lis Created 10 Inform
Reservisfs OF Status
By George Beveridee

y
By George Beveridee
A new Pentagon committee has
been set up to find a way to give
reservists of all the armed forces
and their employers a clearer pic
ture of whether they'll be called
to active duty and when.
The study grew out of COM
plants coming from all over the
Nation that reservists are having
trouble getting jobs, or advancing
in those they already hold, be-
cause employers fear they will be
called to the colors.
Factors Involved.
Directly involved in the import
ant new project, The Star learned
today. are these factors:
/. The need for more definite
criteria. beyond military specially
requirements, for selecting reserv-
lists who are to be called.
2. The length of time reservists
should have to serve, in the alb
sence of an all-out emergency.
Heading the four-man commit
tee. set up this week, is Brig. Gen
Melvin j. Mas, former Republi-
can Representative from Mime
sofa, who was called to active
duty for a month to take the job.
The committee will make its
recommendations directly to the
Defense Departments Civilian
Components Policy Board, which
in turn will recommend policy
changes to Defense Secretary
Marshall.
Tight Schedule Set.
With reservist recalls mounting
every day, the committee has set
itself a tight schedule, aimed at
coming up with recommendations
by october II.
Gen. Mas, who also serves as
non-paid president of the Marine
Corps Reserve Officers Associa-
tion, told reporter his group
and other reserve outfits have
evidence that thousands of reser-
visits are having serious job trou-
bles because they are liable for
recall.
AS an example, the general
cited the case Of 10 recent law
school graduates, who are men,
bers Of a Marine Reserve air
squadron in Florida. All 10 had
jobs lined up with civilian law
firms, but all have been refused
employment because of their Re-
serve status, he said.
In another case, he said, a
reservist was told he couldn't get
a job as q milkman because his
employer was afraid he wouldn't
be around long enough to be
worth the training.
Similar complaints have rolled
into offices here of the Reserve
Officers Association according to
its director, Brig. Gen. E. A. Evans.
"Our reports have been spotty
throughout the country" Gen.
Evans said. "but we're afraid the
problem is reaching bad proper
tions.
1--WE heard from one man in the
Northwest, who was Summarily
dismissed because his boss said he
was subject to call. In another
case, a young contractor who was
about to build homes had to back
out when bank withdrew his loan
because he was in the reserves"
Complicating the problem, Gen.
Mas said is the large number of
reservists CT Bill students, who
are finishing school and looking
for jobs.
In an all-out mobilization, all
reserves can figure to go, Gen.
Mas pointed out, but relatively
few now are being called. AS a re-
suit, he said, "those who aren't
slated to be called must have
something to show it. They de-
serve to know"
Two Steps Already Taken.
Two steps of the committees
job already are lined up.
First. the United States Cham
ber Of Commerce has agreed to
poll selective employers TO find out
what data they need to hire and
retain reserve employees. Here are
some of the things they will be
asked:
How much advance notice do
they need that employees will be
called? How much assurance do
they need that individual reserv-
lists will not be called? How much
time is needed between the time
the employe is ordered to active
duty and the time he must re-
port? How long he can be spared? ?
At the same time, various re-
serve groups have agreed to make
Selective checks among reservists
to learn how much they feel they
are entitled to know about their
recall status.
Armed with data from these
polls, Gen. Mas said, his commit
tee will go to each of the services
to ask what they can do to meet
the needs.
Reverse Point System"
Now that the initial press of the
Korean crisis has eased, the COM
mittee will consider possibilities
of more careful selection of men.
One may be the use of a sort of
reverse point SYSTEM" similar to
that used to discharge World War
II men, in which previous service