Evening star., 1955-02-07
Wilson Sees Danger
To Armed Forces as
Trained Men Leave
By the Assoeiatsd Press

Secretary of Defense Wilson
said today the armed forces are
losing far too many trained men
to private industry and lately
we have seen an already critical
situation get worse"
Mr.. Wilson and Admiral
Arthur w. Radford, chairman Of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ap-
peared before a House Armed
Services subcommittee in sup
port of the administrations pro-
posal for selective military pay
raises.
Both men stressed that the
Nation must maintain a core of
outstanding officers and men in
its military force for years to
come. Admiral Radford said this
period could be 10 years or it
could be so" and added:
"Since we would never be the
one to initiate a war. we have
no alternative but to remain
adequately prepared to defend
our vital interests for an in
definite period of time"
Million Due for Release.
Reading from a prepared
statement, Mr.. Wilson said:
Approximately one million
men-one-third of our planned
size for the active forces-will
become eligible for some form of
release during the next year.
This high turnover rate is ex-
tremely costly in dollars, but it
is even more costly in terms of
loss Of experience and opera
tional efficiency
THE readiness of our combat
units will be difficult to improve
if We are unable to induce more
men to stay with us longer"
The Defense Secretary said
military pay has fallen behind
that of industry and has Jagged
behind the cost of living as well.
He said the pay of high rank
ing officers should be increased
SO young officers will have a
further incentive to remain in
the service.
"In more than IS years." Mr..
Wilson said. "the pay of a major
general or rear admiral has been
increased SO per cent. The pay
Of the lowest enlisted grade has
been increased by nearly 800 per
cent during this same period.
considering the imitation, our
higher ranking officers are paid
only about one-half as much
as they were As years ago, while
the enlisted men are paid about
three times as much"
Predicts Approval.
Representative Kilday, Demo-
crat, of Texas. subcommittee
chairman, predicted Congress
will approve some type of raise
for career personnel but perhaps
only after considerable debate
over the exact amount. The
armed services unit is consid-
ering a measure to boost the
pay of long-term servicemen by
from 8 to 25 per cent.
The Eisenhower administra-
ton. which urged the program,
estimates thatsit will cost nearly
$3.50 million in the fiscal year
starting July l..
The measure also would pro-
vide increases up to S245 monthly
for hazardous flight and sub
marine duty and provide other
fringe benefits requested by
President Eisenhower.
Another aspect of the admin
tstration's military program, that
calling for manpower reductions
to a long pull" goal of 1850, 900
by mid-l956, won an influential
Endorsement over the week end
from Representative Vinson,
Democrat, Of Georgia, chairman
of the full Armed Services Com
mittee.
Mr.. Vinson said in an inter
view he regards the figure as a
minimum, but he wrote off any
prospect that the committee
might go to bat for Gen. Mat
thew B. Ridgway. the Army chief
of staff. Gen. Ridgway has told
the committee he thinks pro-
posed Army cuts of $4,000 men
would "endanger our security d..
to a degree"