Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-05
Penfagon Doubts
UNIT Is Answer
To Reserve Problem
By John A. Giles

QlCaClOIlS GIldt u1Oot tOP O4hSAoAo
feel universal military training
Is not the answer.
President Eisenhower said in
his American Legion speech last
week that a strong, ready mill
tary reserve" would be his No.
L legislative objective next year.
He did not outline what form
such a reserve would take, but
Legion officers took him to mean
that he favored UNIT. The con-
vention passed a strong resolu-
ton favoring UNIT.
The Legion resolution was
based on the Presidents declara-
ton that the reserve program
would be along the lines "the
American Legion and other pa
triotic organizations have vainly
fought for for a generation"
The Legion has endorsed UNIT
for IS years.
Gen. Eisenhower. as Army
Chief of Staff, testified on Capt.
toll Hill in favor of a UNIT bill.
But last January the President
ruled out any administration re-
quest for it pending new study
and perhaps a drastic over
haul-of the military reserve
system.
:. UNIT Getting Cold Shoulder.
For the last several months
officials have ducked even men
tstion of the words universal
: military training" and have de-
s,scribed some Of UNITS detectives
> In other terms.
At the Pentagon. the UNIT
idea of giving all young men
four or six months basic train
ing between high school and
college or work, appears to be
getting a cold shoulder from top
officials. The UNIT plan also
calls for some who complete
training to-be drafted by lottery.
s for "a months active duty. the
: balance to go into active reserve
: outfits. All UNIT graduates
would not be called except in
; an about war.
; Officials argue over the equity
: Of such a program. They feel
: they would be hard put to find
9 answers for parents whose son,
: after four months UNIT train
3 ing, was sent overseas while a
Z neighbor Joined the reserves and
: remained at home.
They are agreed on one thing:
( No combat veterans of World
: War II should be forced to join
reserve outfits.
Defense Department officials
: also feel that UNIT training
would be a terrific problem and
= expense, calling for special camps
and training organizations
. Months Training Belittled.
Z Some also maintain that such
9 short training would provide little
s more than physical conditioning
. since modern war and weapons
Ssarea so complicated. The Army,
for. instance, found it was neces-
%sar-y to refrain some men who
4yhad gone through four months
1basic training after they reached
@Korea during hostilities there.
The size of the regular forces
now around 3.3 million officers
land men-will be the main factor
1in determining the type of re-
&serve program to be presented to
congress. A large regular force
Swould provide the necessary
trainers for large reserve.
DR.. John A. Hannah, former
= Assistant Defense Secretary for
l--Manpower, advanced the theory
9that revitalized Army and Air
Force reserve organizations
ssshould be built around the Ma
-.tional Guard because the Guard
%.he said. is the best organized re-
G serve component these services
rhave to present.
: But this plan brought roar
: from Army and Air reservists
= and particularly their organiza-
ton, the Reserve Officers Assoc
-iation. In that connection, the
- ROA's Army Affairs Committee
., will meet at the Sheraton-Park
EHoteI here Sept. 1873,
Hannah Plan Regulated.
The ROA pressure brought a
= reputation Of the Hannah plan
= for abolishing Army and Air
= Force reserves.
Pentagon officials say that new
= reserve Organizations could be
y built around the Guard or re-
= serve units or q combination
.of both.
Secretary Of Defense Wilson,
Twno said the military reserve set
1up would be a national scandal"
: If war broke out now. returns to
his Office Tuesday after a vaca-
: ton. He will go into an immed-
= late huddle with Subordinates on
z the whole reserve program. From
= these talks Army, Navy, Air Force
: and Marine Corps personnel Off
GERS nope to get guidance on just
q what the administration has In
mind.