ARMY & NAVY: New Trick

ARMY & NAVY

The Army was feeling so good that it surprised itself. Voluntary enlistments for twelve months had reached 992,648. Moreover, the recruiting curve was on the way up: 61,750 volunteers in September, instead of an estimated 30,000.* True many of the volunteers might have been scared into the Army to beat the draft, but now another factor was working in the recruiting officers’ favor: the 52-20 clubs were breaking up. Many veterans who had drawn $20 for 52 weeks were re-enlisting instead of seeking civilian jobs.

Faced with all this good news, the Army last week told Selective Service to take a holiday. Inductions would be suspended until year’s end, thus sparing about 50,000 potential draftees. If enlistments held up, Selective Service would die. Meanwhile the Army plastered the country with its most enticing posters, some of which made it seem as though the Army was merely an agency of the Social Security Board (see cut).

*For news of some unwanted volunteers, see CANADA.