Lift for Morale

The 1,038,500 draftees, reservists and National Guardsmen in the U.S. Army (total strength: 1,572,000) last week had a surprise: in spite of the law extending their service for, 18 months bigwigs in the War Department had no intention of keeping most of them that long.

Eighteen months more was just a time limit so that the Army would not be unduly rushed in discharging men 1) before they had finished jobs in hand, 2) before they could be adequately replaced, or 3) in such numbers that units would be broken up. Actually the War Department intended to turn them out as fast as it could after their first twelve months. It hoped to have almost 200,000 men back home by Christmas, barring war or more imminent threat of war.

Soldiers who want to get out of service in the first rush will have to file applications with their commanding officers. First in priority for getting out will be soldiers who can show hardship on their dependents, and second, soldiers over 28 years old. These need not even serve out their first year. Others, including married men, who will get third priority, must have twelve months’ service to show before their C.O.s will consider their applications for discharge.

Outside the priority list, selectees and National Guard enlisted men will be discharged as fast as the Army can get replacements from new drafts and enlistments. Best news to this big slice of the service was that the Army would try to send some home after 14 months, would try to hold the average of active duty to 18 months.

Spokesmen for the War Department insisted that the discharge program was not planned with an eye on substandard morale. True as that might be, the undoubted fact was that it would have the effect of raising morale.