Evening star., 1952-01-31
Hershey Urges Start
On UNIT Immediately,
Continuance Of Draft
By George Beyeridee

Selective Service Director Levi,
3. Hershey said today the Natior
can and must operate the draf
and universal military training
simultaneously, and he urged thai
UNIT be started Immediately.
At the same time, however, hi
declared that the manpower need!
of the armed forces now require
that each man serves his "a
months active duty, including
the six-month training period
Twenty-four months is the perioc
Of regular draft service.
Maj. Gen. Hershey did moi
specify that UNIT graduate.
should serve on active duty i'm
mediately following their UNIT
training. The theory of UNIT i:
that each inductee would be ir
uniform for only six months ano
then be routed into a reserve pro-
gram for further training while in
civilian life.
The draft chiefs assertions
came in a statement prepared fol
delivery before the House Armed
Services Committee, which today
winds up extensive hearings on
supplementary legislation that
would pave the way for a start
to UNIT.
10 Witnesses Heard.
Chairman Vinson said the group
has heard 10 witnesses and that
the committee will begin work
Monday behind closed doors on
the supplementary bill.
The bill under study does not
specify how UNIT should start or
when, but relates only to legal
rights and obligations of the
trainees. These provisions, how
ever, must be approved by Con-
gress before any youth may be
indicted into UNIT.
Mr.. Vinson told reporters he
wanted to ask Gen. Hershey if
there are enough youths available
to continue drafting men above
the age of 19 for two years serv-
ice and to begin UNIT with linn
tied number of 18-year-olds.
Under the UNIT law already
passed by Congress, youths in
Quoted involuntarily into UNIT
could be recalled to active duty
as reservistS after finishing their
training. Mr.. Vinson said he will
submit an amendment that no
UNIT graduates could be so re-
called until after they reach the
age of 10.
The idea of combining 18
months service concurrently with
the six-month UNIT program is
being strongly urged by Defense
Department officials.
Gen. Hershey said that, of the
IL million current draft regis
trants. only about l million are
classified Ia. OF these, he said,
only about 100000 will eventually
enter service.
The draft director said active
duty would be required of some
UNIT graduates until such time
as a reduction in the size of the
armed forces can be safely
achieved" He said he hopes it
would not be too long before every
youth would have to take the six
month training before he could
qualify for any type of defer
n1ent.
Would Clarity Requirements.
Gen. Hershey said he wanted
to point out to Congress "a dan
ger of creating in the public
mind" the idea that UNIT will not
soon become really universal
simply because it must begin
gradually and with small num-
bers.
"a second danger" he declared,
''lies in the possibility of building
the delusion that UNIT for six
months will serve as cure-all
for all our military manpower
procurement problems. 1t won't.
"And if we give these young
men six months training, and
then calculate-and permit them
to calculate-that their obliga-
tions are all fulfilled, we are
headed for serious trouble. I be-
lieve we should make it crystal
clear that completion of that six
months training is not the end
of their nnlipatinn hut merely the