RESERVES IN U.S.

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29778, 22 March 1962, Page 13

RESERVES IN U.S.

Unrest In Camps <NZ. Press Assn.—Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 21. The United States Defence Department is considering the start of demobilisation cn August 25 of more than 155,000 National Guardsman (citizen military forces) and reservists now on active duty. More than a month ago. President Kennedy indicated a possible release for reservists and guardsmen, starting in August, when the first of two new regular Army divisions was expected to be in combat readiness. The Army Chief of Staff, General George H. Decker, yesterday ordered his commanders to impress on reservists and guardsmen that they were needed on active duty because the United States was “in a very real sense at war” with the Communists. General Decker —acting in among reservists at several Army posts—emphasised that Soviet efforts to harass air traffic in the corridors to West Berlin had heightened tension there and that the situation in South Vietnam was serious. Some Defence Department officials suggested that the possibility of a summit meeting early this year was another factor which was keeping the reservists in uniform. They said reserve demobilisation around that time might be taken by the Soviet Union as a sign of weakness At the height of the Berlin crisis last year. Congress authorised President Kennedy to call up to 250,000 men for as long as a year of service. All but a few thousand of the more than 155,000 kept for crisis duty came on active service in October—about 76.000 on October 1 and another 73.000 on October 15.