Evening star., 1953-12-12
Wilson Awaits
Approval Of CUT
In Manpower
Pentugon Plan to
Slash Services Up
To Eisenhower
By John A. Giles

BY John A. Giles
The Pentagon today hoped to
get President Eisenhower's bless
ing on a military spending pro-
gram for the next fiscal year
which calls for heavy cuts in
Army, Navy and Marine Corps
manpower.
Only the Air Force would
continue to expand under the
agreement hammered out in
long conferences among top De-
fenSe Department officials.
The other three services, and
especially the Army, had pro-
tested bitterly against the man
power reductions.
Defense Secretary Wilson told
reporters at National Airport
yesterday as he left for NATO
meetings in Paris that he
was personally satisfied" with
the plan. He added that
he had stayed up until 1870
pm. Thursday to complete
the budget work and it is set
tied in my mind"
Review Due Wednesday.
In his absence. Deputy Sec
retary of Defense Roger M. Kyes
and Assistant Secretary Wilfred
j. Mcneil. the department con-
troller, were scheduled to make
the presentation to the Chief
Executive. Budget Director Jo-
seph Dodge also was to be on
hand.
If Gen. Eisenhower approves
the program-which also pro-
jects the Nations military
strength for the following two
fiscal periods-it will be reviewed
by the National Security Council
Wednesday.
The details of the program
were deeply held secret. Mr..
Wilson sent out strict orders
against talking about it. officials
who heretofore have been good
sources of news we're fearful of
even being in the presence of
reporters.
Draft Call Lowered.
But Mr.. Wilson himself gave
at least one indication that some
of the manpoWer cuts he had
proposed were in the program.
He said the February draft call
would be dropped to $4,000 from
the $4,000 monthly level it has
maintained since last July.
The $4,000 figure was recon-
mended by the Army when the
defense chief told the service to
maintain an average of around
1,340.000 officers and men next
year instead of the is million
is has now.
The Secretary added he did
not think the draft call could be
cut further. Nor did he believe
the draft could be dropped "in
the foreSeeable future" or as long
as the present international sit
uatiOn exists.
If the draft was eliminated,
he added, you probably couldn't
maintain half the men we have
now. It serves to force many
youths into the recruiting sta
tionS"
Supporting Forces Cut.
Mr.. Wilson has been adamant
in his demands that the services
get along with fewer people
but that the reductions be made
in supporting forces and not in
combat units. ManpoWer is the
only field in which any real saw
lngS can be made, he said.
But he ran into heavy oppo-
Sltlon. The Joint Chiefs of Staff
last October presented their plan
Tor the next year, which called
Tor manpoWer at about present
levels. Gen. Eisenhower rejected
the program.
MI. Wilson said yesterday that
he had received on Wednesday
the long pull new look from
the Chiefs that he had asked of
them when they took Office.
Asked whether the military
budget for the year starting
July J represented a compro-
mise with the military new look,
Mr.. Wilson said "the word bal
ance is better"
The Secretary was asked
whether the Navy would be able
to operate the same number of
combat ships with fewer person.
mel next year. He replied that
this was one of the things "they
will be working out at the Penta-
gon while am away"
This statement was taken to
mean that only the broad out
lines of the program would be
presented to the President.