going to permit college students to escape their military responsibility merely by attending college. As deferred registrants, these individuals would be liable for induction up to age 35, but local boards might be inclined to deny student deferments beyond the age of 24. At present, no one who is draft liable and over the age of 26, is being drafted, since they are placed in the lowest priority.

In addition, as I have mentioned earlier, we are not today drafting fathers, although many are in a 1-A category. This is because of the priority arrangement which places fathers in the fourth priority.

If we reduce the draft age to 24, and continue to take the oldest first for involuntary induction, it is quite possible that we would have to rearrange the priorities of induction so that many fathers, before attaining the age of 24, would be inducted.

But the most significant point to remember with respect to the present draft liability age spread is the fact that 50 percent of our present inductees volunteer for induction and for practical purposes select the period of time when they want to fulfill their military obligation.

Young men can volunteer for induction at the age of 17 with their parents' consent, and at the age of 18 without parental consent.

Thus there is plenty of opportunity for young men to fulfill their military obligation before attaining the age of 26. By retaining the age of 26 we give the young men of the Nation an opportunity to volunteer for service before completing their education, or in the alternative, we let them complete their education and then fulfill their military obligation. If we reduce the draft age, then the opportunity for fulfilling a military obligation after receiving higher education may be jeopardized, which would in turn be reflected in fewer educational deferments.

Before leaving this subject, members of the committee, let me also say that any time the President decides that he doesn't want to draft people over the age of 24, but instead wants to use a particular age group, he has ample authority to induct by age group. There is a specific provision in the law, which will be extended under the proposed legislation, that gives the President the right to provide for the selection or induction of persons by age group or groups. Thus, the President, if he so desires, can order the induction of individuals in certain age groups so long as these groups are within the age of liability. Thus, there is considerable flexibility in the law as it now stands.

And finally, I should also mention that last year we gave the President the authority to raise the physical and mental standards for induction. This has increased the 4-F deferment rate from 22 percent to 33 percent; but it has also vastly improved the efficiency of the Army. In fact, since then the Army prison population has dropped so sharply that an Army disciplinary barracks has been closed.

Now let me comment for a moment upon the organization and personnel of the Selective Service System. I think this is very important and we ought to know something about it.

There are 4,012 local boards throughout the United States in the area covered by the Selective Service System. In addition, there are 93 appeal boards, and 26 extra panels in those areas where the appeal load requires additional boards. The law requires that there be an

appeal board in each Federal judicial district. There is also a State headquarters for each State and Territory.

A local board consists of three persons and an appeal board consists of five members, as do each of the panels.

The head of the Selective Service System in each State is recommended by the Governor and appointed by the President. Likewise, local boards and appeal boards are filled on the basis of recommendations by the Governor of each State, with the appointments being made by the President.

Members of local boards and appeal boards receive no compensation. In that connection, you might be interested to know that there are 38,916 persons representing about 90 percent of the total Selective Service personnel who work without pay.

The entire Selective Service System employs 4,334 full-time paid civilians and 2,057 part-time paid civilians. There is an average of about one paid clerk per board. The rest of the paid employees are largely clerks at State and national headquarters. There are only 50 persons in executive positions employed at the national headquarters and 207 employed at the 56 State and Territory headquarters.

The fiscal 1959 appropriation is $27,500,000. Of this sum, $20 million is spent in the operation of the local boards.

Now, members of the committee, so much in general. Now let me briefly make some remarks in reference to this bill.

H.Ř. 2260 extends the induction provisions of the Universal Military Training and Service Act from the present expiration date of July 1, 1959, to July 1, 1963, a period of 4 years.

The bill also extends until July 1, 1963, the suspension on the limitations on personnel strengths of the Armed Forces.

Likewise, the bill extends the Dependents Assistance Act of 1950 to July 1, 1963.

Section 17(c) of the Universal Military Training and Service Act contains the following provision:

(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title, no person shall be inducted for training and service in the Armed Forces after July 1, 1959, except persons now or hereafter deferred under section 6 of this title after the basis for such deferment ceases to exist.

It should be noted that the Universal Military Training and Service Act is, for practical purposes, permanent law except for the authority to induct individuals not previously deferred.

The proposed legislation would extend the authority to induct such individuals from July 1, 1959, to July 1, 1963, a period of 4 years. The proposed legislation also seeks to extend the authority to make special calls for physicians and dentists. H.R. 2260, the Department bill sent to me for introduction, would make permanent the authority to issue special calls for physicians and dentists by virtue of the fact that it would repeal the termination provision of the doctors draft law.

It is my intention to propose an amendment which would extend the authority to make special calls for physicians and dentists from July 1, 1959, to July 1, 1963, a period of 4 years. The effect of the amendment is to extend the doctors draft for only 4 years and not to make it permanent as the Department bill, by inadvertence, did.

The provision of law which permits the special call of physicians and dentists is contained in Public Law 85-62, commonly referred to

as the doctors draft law. Among the provisions of this law is an amendment to section 5(a) of the Universal Military Training and Service Act, which contains the following proviso:

Provided further, That nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the President, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, from providing for the selection or induction of persons qualified in needed medical, dental, or allied specialist categories pursuant to requisitions submitted by the Secretary of Defense.

This proviso must be considered in connection with a proviso of section 6(h) of the Universal Military Training and Service Act, which states as follows:

And provided further, That persons who are or may be deferred under the provisions of this section shall remain liable for training and service in the Armed Forces * * * until the 35th anniversary of the date of their birth.

This is a most significant provision, particularly with respect to physicians and dentists. Most physicians and dentists are deferred to complete their medical and dental training, and, as a result, they incur a liability up to age 35 under the above language.

Thus, these individuals are liable up to age 35 and may be called in a special category as medical and dental specialists because they were deferred to complete their medical and dental training.

This is the provision under which it is possible to induct physicians and dentists. Actually, no physicians and dentists are now being inducted, nor have any been inducted for some time.

This comes about as a result of section 4(1) of the Universal Military Training and Service Act, which authorizes the President to order to active duty for not more than 24 months with or without his consent any member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who is in a medical, dental, or allied specialist category who has not attained the 35th anniversary of the date of his birth and who has not yet had at least 1 year of active duty.

As a result, physicians and dentists who are liable for induction apply for reserve commissions and then are ordered to duty as reserve officers, usually in the grade of captain in the Army and Air Force or lieutenant in the Navy.

The law specifically states that such individuals shall be appointed to a grade or rank commensurate with their education, experience, or ability. The law also provides that no person in a medical, dental, or allied specialist category shall be inducted if he applies or has applied for an appointment as a Reserve officer in any of these categories and is or has been rejected for such appointment on the sole ground of a physical disqualification.

Thus, physicians and dentists are entering the Armed Forces as Reserve officers because the law specifically gives them the right to apply for a Reserve commission, and the law further gives the President the right to order them to active duty for not more than 24 months after they become Reserve officers, if they are not over the age of 35. The law also provides that if a doctor is inducted as an enlisted man, he can be utilized in his professional capacity. It should also be noted that Reserve officers who enter on active duty as physicians and dentists also qualify for special pay which amounts to $100 per month in the first 2 years of active duty.

In discussing the necessity for extending the so-called doctors draft law, I think you would be interested in some personnel figures:

The Army has-I invite your attention to these figures.

The Army has 1,629 Regular officers who are physicians, and 2,198 physicians who are Reserve officers. Of these 2,198 Reserve officer physicians, 1,579 entered the Army as a result of the doctor draft law. They weren't drafted, but they entered as Reserve officers because of the doctors draft law.

In the Navy, as of November 30, 1958, there were 1,626 Regular officer physicians and 1,672 Reserve officer physicians. Of this number, 1,186 Reserve officer physicians entered on active duty as a result of the doctors draft law.

In the Air Force, there are 1,144 Regular officer physicians and 2,274 Reserve officer physicians. Of these 2,274 Reserve officer physicians, 1,700 entered the Air Force as a result of the doctors draft law. The average annual rate of physicians on active duty to total personnel is 3.4 physicians per thousand troop strength. This strength figure varies throughtout the year, but the overall average is 3.4.

All told, as of November 30, 1958, there were 10,543 physicians on active duty in the Armed Forces.

Now let's look at the dentists for a moment.

In the Army there are 529 Regular dental officers, and 1,250 Reserve dental officers. Of these, 1,250 Reserve dental officers, 1,012 entered on active duty as a result of the doctors draft law.

In the Navy there are 1,012 Regular dental officers, and 587 Reserve dental officers. Of these 587 Reserve dental officers, 513 entered on active duty as a result of the doctors draft law.

In the Air Force there are 441 Regular dental officers and 1,336 Reserve dental officers and of these 1,336 Reserve dental officers, 996 entered on active duty as a result of the doctors draft law. The average strength of dentists is 2 per thousand troop strength.

All told, there were 5,155 dentists on active duty on November 30, 1958. I believe it is important to note that all of the Reserve officers on active duty as a result of the doctors draft law entered on active duty prior to age 35. In addition, all of these doctors were at one time deferred to complete their education.

I think, members of the committee, from these figures it is perfectly obvious that we would not be able to provide adequate medical and dental care for members of our Armed Forces if we did not have the doctors draft law in operation.

H.R. 2260 also extends the present law which suspends the limitations on the size of the Armed Forces. Under existing permanent law, that is the permanent law on the books today, the authorized active duty strength of the Army is limited to 837,000, and the Air Force is limited to 502,000 total active duty strength. This limitation has been suspended until July 1, 1959.

There are no statutory restrictions on the total number of naval personnel on active duty, but the total number of active Regular Navy enlisted personnel may not exceed an average of 500,000 during a fiscal year. Regular Navy officers are established by ratios to the Regular enlisted strength. It is anticipated that on July 1, 1959, there will be approximately 504,000 Regular enlisted Navy personnel on active duty; and, if the 500,000 limitation went into effect, it would bring about a reduction in the size of the Navy. Thus, we must suspend this limitation.

The authorized strength of the Marine Corps has been codified at 400,000, and thus the Marine Corps would not be affected if the suspension expired.

The projected end strength of the Army on June 30, 1959, is 870,000, as contrasted with an authorized strength, now suspended, of 837,000. The projected active duty strength of the Air Force on June 30, 1959, is 850,000; whereas the limitation, now suspended, only authorizes 502,000.

It is obvious, therefore, that unless these strength limitations are suspended there would be a drastic reduction in the size of the Air Force, a reduction of 33,000 in the size of the Army, and a small reduction in the size of the Navy.

H.R. 2260 also extends the Dependents Assistance Act of 1950. This act went into effect at the outbreak of the Korean conflict and has been tied in closely with the draft law ever since.

This act authorizes the payment of a basic allowance for quarters to all enlisted members who have dependents, regardless of rank, provided the dependents are not furnished Government quarters. Before the act was passed, enlisted members in pay grades E-1, E-2, and E-3 and enlisted members in pay grade E-4 with less than 7 years of service, were not entitled to such an allowance.

The Dependents Assistance Act makes the payment of such an allowance contingent upon members making allotments payable to their dependents in an amount equal to that allowance plus a specified additional amount. If a member does not claim an allowance for his dependents, the Secretary concerned may direct the payment of the allowance.

Under this act, enlisted personnel in pay grades E-4 through E-9 receive a quarters allowance of $77.10 per month if they have not more than 2 dependents, and $96.90 per month if they have more than 2 dependents. Enlisted personnel in the grades E-1, E-2, and E-3 receive an allowance of $51.30 per month with 1 dependent; $77.10 per month with 2 dependents, and $96.90 per month with over 2 dependents.

To qualify for these additional allowances, enlisted personnel in the grades E-1, E-2, and E-3 must allot $40 of their basic pay monthly; in the grades E-4 and E-5 they must allot $60 per month; and in the case of enlisted members in grades E-6 through E-9, they must allot $80 per month.

This act expires on 1 July 1959, and if it is not extended, enlisted personnel would suffer a severe reduction in pay.

Now, members of the committee, I apologize for making this lengthy statement, but I hope that my analysis of the various laws involved may be of some assistance and aid to you during these hearings.

As far as I am concerned, we have no choice but to extend the draft law, the so-called doctors' draft law, the Dependents' Assistance Act, and the law which suspends the strength ceilings on the size of our Armed Forces. These are the four objectives of this bill, and, in my opinion, they should be approved unanimously by the committee. The first witness this morning is Mr. Finucane, Assistant Secretary of Defense.

Mr. Secretary, sit right down there.

Secretary FINUCANE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.