Evening star., 1954-12-28
Is Pct. Raise
Proposed for
Enlisted Men
Close Study Of New
Plan to Build Up
Reserves Forecast
By }. A. o'Leory

Is per cent pay increase for en-
listed men in the armed forces
to build up a career fighting
force and minimize the need for
utilizing the draft.
Defense officials announced
recently they will submit to the
new Congress a comprehensive
manpower program designed to
develop a reserve force of three
million and permit a gradual re-
duction in the number on active
duty. The Pentagon also re-
vealed it is working on a pay bill,
but only for men with special
skills rather than across the
board.
Congress will give this man
power program close scrutiny" :"
said Senator Mansfield, land the
administration will have to prove
they are giving us more defense
with reduced active forces"
The Montana Senator said he
thought it would be more eco
nomical to pay Servicemen
enough to encourage them to
make a career out of one branch
or another.
Urges Fringe Benefits.
"It ought not to be hard to
maintain fighting force of three
million men if you pay them
enough" the Senator said. II
would be willing to support a Is
per cent increase for enlisted
men and restore fringe benefits
that have been taken away"
Senator Mansfield also de-
clared that if Congress is going
to extend the draft it should tie
to it a revival of the excess pro-
fits tax for industries that bene-
fit from the defense program"
IF we draft men we can draft
profits also, as long as there is
a state of emergency" Senator
Mansfield added.
When he was a member of the
House several years ago, Mr..
prepared an excess
profits tax amendment to an
earlier draft bill but he said it
was ruled out of order.
If he revives it in the Senate
this winter he may again run
into a parliamentary obstacle
of a different kind. The Con-
stitution requires that revenue
bills must originate in the House.
He could offer it, however, as
a Senate amendment to any tax
bill the House may pass during
the 1855 session. There may be
a tax bill early in the year, be-
cause the administration is re-
ported anxious to head of the
reduction in corporation and ex-
else rates due to take effect
automatically April /.
Training In Schools.
In addition to higher pay to
keep men in the active branches
of the military service, Senator
Mansfield said he thought mill
tary training should be encour-
aged in high schools and col
legeS.
Expressing fear that the Soviet
Union is getting ahead Of the
United States in training young
scientists, the Senator suggested
this Government consider pay
ing all or part of the cost OF
educating young men who in
high school are found to possess
special aptitudes for new scienti-
fic fields.
If financial aid is extended to
such students, Senator Mansfield
said, they would have to agree to
give the Government first call
on their services for a stated
number of years after gradua-
ton.
The Pentagon's manpower pro-
gram calls for a four-year extern
sion of the draft law, due to
expire in June. Coupled with it
would pe a plan for allowing
100000 youths to volunteer each
year for six months of basic
training. after which they would
join a reserve unit for 9l2 years.
Those who are not accepted as
six month volunteers would con-
tinue to be drafted for two years
of active duty, plus six years in
a reserve unit.
In 1851 Congress approved in
principle a limited form of uni
versal training similar to the
six-morth plan now being pro-
posed. but tied strings to the law
which prevented the six-month
volunteer plan from going into
effect.