Evening star., 1950-08-09
Red Threat TO Taegu
Most PeriIous Now,
Pentagon Believes
By John A. Giles

ment aimed at the important COM
municationS and supply center at
Taegu was viewed at the Pentagon
today as potentially the most
dangerous Red drive on the grad
ually steadying Korean battle
front.
On the basis of reports up to
mid morning, a Pentagon brief1ng
officer said that he was "opti-
! mistic" about holding Taegu and
, that Eighth Army headquarters
|, joined in that optimism. He said
: field headquarters was not
alarmed about that situation"
The fall Of Taegu, though not
necessarily disastrous. would make
the supply problem from the rear
/, area of Pusan even worse. Off
: cials here expect the American
forces to hold in the vicinity Of
: Chingju, to the south, which is
, the closest point the Communists
J have advanced on Pusan.
{ Elsewhere in Washington there
were these defense developments:
) /. Chairman TydingS Of the
Senate Armed Services Committee
listed fighting manpower-eSpe-
clally ground troops-as Ameri-
cas- first probable shortage in
mobilizing for the future. The
d. Maryland Democrat questioned
proposals for enlisting Japanese
. volunteers or rearming Western
: Germans as did Senator Gurney,
Republican of South Dakota.
" Army Asks for Nurses.
.. 2. The Army today issued call
for volunteer nurses and women
medical specialists. The immedi-
ate need is for $50 nurses, 10
dieticians, 40 physical therapists
and IS occupational therapists.
Currently the Army has 6,382
nurses and $50 medical special
lists in its reserve corps. The de-
partment said that a direct ap-
peal was being made to nurses
and women medical specialists
who served during World War II
but who are not now commits
stoned in the reserve. Registered
nurses and graduate dieticians.
physical theRpists and occupa-
tional therapiStS between 81 and
IS who do not hold reserve COM
missions may apply for appoint
ment and request active duty
simultaneously. Married women
and women with dependents un-
der 18 years old are not eligible
for active duty at this time.
Atomic Submarine Authorized.
3. The Navy received authority
TO build the first atomic-power
submarine in a $3.50 million ship
building bill signed by President
Truman yesterday.
4. A special House Armed Serv-
ices ';Expediting' Committee re-
ported that overtime work or
extra shifts may sbe ordered to-
rush completion of THE Nations
$85 million radar-warning system.
sa. Representative RobeSon, Dem
oerzt, of Virginia said that work
would be resumed soon on the
65.oOo-ton Superaircraft carrier
United States. However, a high
defense official said that the Navy
had not even put forward any
proposal for construction Of car
rier of the size of the United
States or slightly smaller during
discussions of the new rearmament
program. Rather. he said, top
admirals, want either to remove
or extend outboard the island
structure on some Of the present
fiattops to accommodate larger
planes. But they do not want to
start that work until after the
Korean situation is cleared up, he
said.
6. A House Armed Service Sub
committee asked the Defense De-
partment to submit a new family
allotment bill based on raising
the amount for quarters and a
more lenient Interpretation Of
Hardship" cases.
While an estimated 10000
Korean Reds pushed across the
Naktong River in three prongs-I
cne of which threatened Taegu-I
American infantry and Marines
on the south flank were making
progress in their attack there. 1t
is the first large scale offensive
action against the enemy.
1t is through Taegu that the
main rail lines and improved
highways run from Pusan north
westward. Over them flow the
ammunition, supplies and REIN
forcements needed by American
and South Korean divisions man
ming the central northern front.
Thus the fall of Taegu would
-