Evening star., 1951-10-29
Launching Of UNIT
On Partial Basis
Urged Immediately
CONTINUED From First Page.)

any youths could be inducted for
the, training. The commission S
report urged Congress to take
such action without delay" when
1t returns in January.
Unless "an international ex-
plosion" occurred, DR.. Compton
said, he felt it might be possible
to expand the 60,000-trainee fig
ure within two or three years to
about S00.000-the approximate
total number Of youths between 10
and 1S who would be eligible an
nually for UNIT.
The commission, ofiicials said.
purposely made no recommends
tion about how to handle one
touchy problem which is certain
to arise If UNIT Is started on a
small scale.
The problem will be how to de-
eide which men between IS and 10
should 60 into UNIT and which
should be left eligible for two
years service under the draft. The
feeling. it was explained, was that
this problem might best be
handled by local draft boards.
To Avoid Pigeon Holing.
Under the law. the two Armed
Services Committees must file re-
ports to the House and Senate
within IS legislative days or after
Congress reconvenes in January.
To assure these committee actions
are not pigeon-holed. any member
OF the House and Senate will be
able to call up the reports for floor
consideration.
The commission, headed by
James w. Wadsworth, former Re-
publican member Of both the
House and Sena e from New York.
based its argument for UNIT on
the need Of a strong reserve force
which would permit the Nation to
reduce the crushing burdens of
q huge standing military force.
Manpower studies, however. the
commission stated. show that
maintenance Of the present mill
tary force Of 3.6 million men is
requiring the use of more new
servicemen each year than the
number who annually reach the
draft induction age of 1871.
The significance of this central
fact" the commission declared.
should be clear: If the present
situation and policies should con-
tinue, every available man now in
the (manpower pool, or who en-
ters the pool within the next sew
eral years. will be required to
serve on extended active duty with
the armed forces.
Ne One Will Escape.
NO one will escape, except
those who are deferred, and many
with deferments will serve ul-
timately."
Nevertheless, the commission
said, there are compelling social
and economic" reasons why size
Of the standing forces eventually
must be cut.
We therefore believe" it as /
serted. that all possible thought
and effort should be given to the
development of a system whereby
We can look forward to a scaling
down Of our military forces in
being without impairment of our
national strength.
"As soon as a reasonable num-
Der Of young men under 10 can
be spared from induction into
the armed forces, they could be
inducted into universal military
training program and funneled
subsequently into the reserve"
View Of the Commission.
AS envisioned by the commits
sion: i
l. Youths would be inducted
into the UNIT force through draft
boards. on monthly quotas, for
six months Of continuous" train
ing. Within quotas, they could
volunteer for induction in any
month.
2. About so per cent would be
trained by the Army, % per cent
by the Navy and Marine Corps
and "a per cent by the Air Force.
Each service would develop it's
own program, of basic mill
tary nature" and operate it sep
arately from its regular forces.
Within quotas. trainees could Sc
lect their service.
3. Since purpose Of the train
Ing Is for possible active service ]
later, only youths who could meet
physical and mental standards
Tor regular draft service would
80 into UNIT. In this sense, the
commission said, UNIT should not
be universal" /,
4. High school students could 1
remain In school until they fin- I,
ished or reached the age OF 20, /
= and students already enrolled in
college when they became 1872
could finish the academic year
In which they were enrolled. Be-
yond these provisions, there would
be no student deferments.
5. Dependency deferments would
be granted only in cases of "ex-
treme hardship"
6. There would be no occupa-
tional deferments except for sea
sonal" farm work and these would
be limited. /
3-Month Periods Rejected.
After much study. the commis-
sion said, it rejected proposals.
that the six-month training bel
broken into two three-month Pc
riods. While such proposals might
benefit college students, it said
they would work a hardship onl
the larger number of young men
who enter upon permanent em-