Evening star., 1961-07-17
KennedYWord
On Troop Call
Anticipated
BY the Associated Press

President Kennedy probably
will decide within the next two
or three days whether to call
in Reserves and National
Guardsmen to bolster the Ma
tion's military readiness.
If he decides to issue the
call, he will have to determine
also how many men are needed
and what extra money, if any,
he will have to request from
Congress. And he will have
to declare a state of limited
emergency, under which he
could mobilize up to / million
men.
Senate Democratic Leader
Mansfield told a reporter the
President may have reached
his decision by tomorrow when
he holds his weekly meeting
with Democratic congressional
leaders.
There were reports that Mr..
Kennedy already had decided
to call up Guardsmen and Re-
serves, but there was no Off
cial indication that he had.
PentagOn Report Due
When Deputy Secretary of
Defense Roswell L. Gilpatrick
announced last week that such
a move was being considered
he said this was the most OBJ
vious way to strengthen the
military forces quickly enough
to deal with such immediate
problems as Berlin. But he said
this was only one of many
possibilities being considered in
view of Russia's new "menac-
ing attitude"
The Defense Department
emphasized today it did not
know what Mr.. Kennedy might
do. A Pentagon spokesman said
only that an "across the board"
review of readiness. ordered by
the President. probably would
go to the White House about
the middle of the week.
This left open the possibility
that Mr.. Kennedy might decide
on the Gallup question before
he gets Secretary Of Defense
McNamara's detailed report.
Mr.. Kennedy can act without
permission from Congress but
he would have to declare a new
emergency to mobilize reserves.
Actually, a state of emergency
which was declared in the
Korean War by former Presi-
dent Truman still exists be-
cause only an armistice rather
than a peace settlement has
been in effect. This Korean
emergency. however, does not
operate so far as a new Gallup
of manpower is concerned.
For Mr.. Kennedy to call any
more than a million reservists.
either as individuals or in units.
would require congressional ac-
ton.
Pentagon figures show that
about IA million reservists are
assigned to ground, sea and
air units and individual as
signments are available in the
ready reserve" category.
Backing these up are more
than a million men listed as
Standby reservists." These
have received no training in re-
cent years.
Ready Reserves Enumerated
In the general category or
ready reserves. about $4,000
men are in Army National
Guard outfits and another
100000 in the Army Reserve:
208.000 are in the Marine
Corps and 100000 in the Navy:
10000 are in the Air Force
Reserve and 10000 in the Air
National Guard.
Under limited emergency
the President could call up both
organized units and individuals.
If the Korean War set a pat
tern, more individual reservists
would be called than those in
organized units.
The eight National Guard di-
visions and two regimental
combat divisions called into
Federal service during the Ko-
rean War involved a total of
138,600 men. However, a total
of 240,500 individual Reservists
were called to Federal service,