NOW AT PEAK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 71, 21 September 1943, Page 5

NOW AT PEAK

U.S. ARMED STRENGTH

NEED FOR FLOW OF MEN

Rec. 11.30 a.m. RUGBY, Sept. 20. For the first time in the history of the United States they were capable of putting into the foreign battle lines troops fully trained at home, said the United States Chief of Staff, General G. C. Marshall. Strategy was now based on plans to increase the present army of 7,300,000 men to 7,700,000 by the end of the year.

Commenting on future plans, General Marshall said: "We have our basic establishment going. Our shipping can now be devoted to employment of our ground forces." , Fully-trained troops were not available, General Marshall explained, when North Africa was invaded and advanced bases were required in Africa to complete adequate preparation's. He disclosed that the army was sending 50,000 troops, such as engineers, mechanics, and signal corps men and 600 bomber crews to England this month, "not to expand our forces there but to continue our present force." , . BEHIND SCHEDULE. He explained: "There has been a constant drain, and we are behind in bomber crew operations. The same thing is true in the Mediterranean. "We are moving in men to operate the port of Salerno and hope, in a short time, that we shall be sending men to operate the port of Naples." Approximately 75,000 men were needed per month merely to hold the army's present strength. General Marshall warned Congress that postponement of the fathers' draft would force a reduction in combat divisions, cause casualties to mount unnecessarily, and "prolong the whole struggle." He emphasised the necessity of hitting the enemy hard now "while they are off their balance." "It is our urgent desire to suffer no more depletions," he said. "It would be unwise and unfortunate to do so. We are on the offensive and it would be unfortunate to do anything to dim our power. GENERAL PUZZLED. "If Congress cuts the army now, or interrupts the steady flow of men, we will suffer much greater loss than we anticipate from the Germans and the Japanese," the general said. Pointing out that the American armed forces had reached the peak of their training and were poised for j aggressive developments throughout I the world, he said he was puzzled by the Congressional reaction at this time and added: "If Congress interrupts the operation of selective service all we can do is reduce our programme and change our strategy.". ... . . General Marshall explained that the army and navy planned to activate about 440 new battalions soon; also that four divisions at present had only 1500 men each and needed an addi- i tional 14,000 men each. —8.0. W. and U.P.A.