Adherence to the procedures outlined above has resulted in efficient utilization of professional manpower and is designed to prevent a surplus in any category of personnel. For the Surgeon General: A. F. SCHEELE, Colonel, M. C., Acting Chief, Personnel Division. Mr. FEIGHAN. Mr. Knapp, would you say that the reduction in your personnel from July 1, 1950, from approximately 188,000 to the figure of 178,000 as of today, would probably be expected in view of the legislation by Congress and the reduction in force program instituted by the VA and other agencies? Mr. KNAPP. If I understand you, you say would it be expected? Mr. KNAPP. It would be expected to some extent as a result of certain programs that are no longer expanding and are even contracting. Also, it is partly a result of efforts to achieve economies and further efficiency in certain fields. Mr. FORRESTER. Mr. Knapp, I am struck with this question. If you get military personnel over there and they are paid by the military, how do you know whether you have effected an economy or not, and how does Congress know whether the Veterans' Administration has cost the taxpayers of this country much money? Mr. KNAPP. The numbers of military personnel are a matter of record. I believe-I am not certain-that they are reported to the Bureau of the Budget and to the appropriate committees in connection with our request for funds for the particular fiscal year in which we have such personnel. Mr. FORRESTER. It seems to me that when you are making your over-all picture and you show what the VA has cost you, it seems to me that those men who have been paid by the military and as to whom you had their complete service, that that should appear to reflect a true picture on what the VA has cost. In other words, the military is charged with spending money for something which they have not had. Mr. BOGGS. Will you yield? Mr. FORRESTER. Yes, sir. Mr. BOGGS. Following your thought, it seems to me that the military has more people than it actually needs if they can afford to put. some over in a civilian agency. Mr. KNAPP. During the war, with respect to the officer group, the detailing was to a large extent confined to those persons who were already in the VA-doctors, dentists and nurses-who either were being called in or wanted to voluntarily go in as a patriotic duty. Under the agreement their status was changed, but their position, their employment, remains the same. Technically they were armed forces personnel, but they had never actually entered into military duties or been a part of military operations. Many of them stayed right at the same desk or the hospital location in the VA. Mr. FEIGHAN. Would you venture a guess as to when, if at all in the future, you think that it would be probable that you would ask for an agreement under this statute? Mr. KNAPP. As you suggest, Mr. Chairman, it would be just a guess. If the personnel losses continue and if the recruitment situation becomes even tighter, I would say it is very probable that we would present the matter to the armed forces possibly within the next year to see if we could secure some relief for key positions. Mr. FORRESTER. Of course if Russia should suddenly strike, our casualties would become greater and you might do that quickly. It depends on what is going to happen. Mr. KNAPP. That is correct, sir. Mr. FEIGHAN. Thank you, Mr. Knapp. Mr. KNAPP. Thank you, sir. Mr. BURRUS. I think it was our feeling that this item did not involve a continuation of the kind of power that could be a danger to liberty. It involved a continuation of administrative discretion that would enable men to be shifted in the most effective manner if the circumstances rose. I think that was why we accepted that item. The next item is section 1 (a) (20), page 19. Mr. Knapp is the witness on that. It is the use of Veterans' Administration vehicles for transporting employees. During the war period it was authorized to use automobiles to transport employees between field stations and nearest public transportation lines at reasonable rates of fare-if the Veterans' Administrator finds that other public and private facilities are not adequate and that efficiency will be promoted thereby. They feel that they did use this authority and feel that they will continue to need it. In fact, I think that is one that they feel they would like to have in permanent form. Of course, that is not asked in this bill. I mention it because of the committee's interest in it. Mr. PICKETT. I would like to ask Mr. Burrus about the previous discussion. What was the view of the Armed Forces with regard to the extension of the power to recruit personnel for the VA from their ranks? Mr. BURRUS. They did not object to it, and I think the reason is because it required their agreement. It is something that would not hurt them, and they felt that the veterans had a need. It is hard to know when one might have a surplus of men and the other a shortagein different areas. It gives an administrative flexibility that should enable a more efficient use of manpower and should prevent waste, in my opinion. Mr. POLLAK. Shall I read the provision, Mr. Chairman? Mr. FEIGHAN. Yes. Mr. POLLAK. This is reading from the statutory provisions set forth in the note to 38 U. S. C. 11a, an act passed in 1943 and amended in 1946, providing During the present war and not exceeding six months after the termination of the war, the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, whenever he finds such action to be necessary for the efficient conduct of the affairs of his Administration, and under such regulations as he may prescribe, is authorized to utilize automotive equipment of the Veterans' Administration to transport its employees between field stations and nearest adequate public transportation at such reasonable rates of fare for service furnished as he may establish. All moneys collected as fares from such employees shall be accounted for and deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of miscellaneous receipts. The authority herein granted to the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs shall be exercised with respect to any station only after determination by the Administrator that existing private and other facilities are not and cannot be rendered adequate by other means, and that its exercise will result in the most efficient method of supplying trans portation to the personnel concerned and a proper utilization of transportation facilities. Mr. KNAPP. Mr. Chairman, this authority has been used in a limited number of instances by the Administrator to prevent interference with vital operations at hospitals throughout the United States, particularly in cases of transit strikes where employees in critical positions in hospitals are dependent upon public transportation between their homes and places of work. As you are no doubt aware, there is a general statutory prohibition against the use of Government automobiles and vehicles for the transportation of employees between their homes and their places of business. The authority is currently being exercised on a very restricted basis; namely, in five cases at the present time. For example, to provide transportation for key hospital personnel who must arrive at a time when the public transportation is not available. At one place we have key dietary personnel who must arrive at 5 o'clock in the morning in order to prepare special diets for breakfast at 6 or thereabouts. Public transportation at that location is by bus, and the first bus scheduled, I believe, arrives at 7. Mr. FEIGHAN. Would you later on put in those five instances, the localities? Mr. KNAPP. I can give them now, sir. Those five hospitals at which this authority is being exercised with respect to a very limited number of employees are located at Amarillo, Tex.; Fort Howard, Md.; Saginaw, Mich.; Fort Harrison, Mont.; and Clinton, Nebr. I might add that since receiving this statutory authorization the Veterans' Administration has only used it in 34 instances from 1943 to date. Mr. FEIGHAN. Are there any further questions? Mr. KNAPP. If I may, you asked if there was any case under the bill in which the agency felt need of additional authority. Mr. FEIGHAN. I am glad you brought that up. Mr. KNAPP. There are many factors aside from national emergencies that cause an interruption in public transportation service. We would like to see it on a permanent basis. Mr. PICKETT. We could expedite that and eliminate this in this bill. If you have to have this permanently, there is no time better than now to get about it, rather than to keep on for years and years on a "temporary emergency" proposition. I do not like emergencies. I have lived in one all my life, but I cannot avoid that. I do not want to invite it statutorily. If you gentlemen get your thinking together and get the proper person to introduce your bill and get it to the right committee, this Congress might take care of you with a great deal of expedition, far beyond its usual tendency in some respects. Mr. KNAPP. Thank you, sir, but in any event it is highly desirable that the provision be retained in the present bill in order to avoid any possible hiatus. Mr. FEIGHAN. What is the next item? Mr. BURRUS. The next item is on page 13; it is 1 (a) (6). This provision would restrict the ordering of persons, inducted, enlisted or appointed under the Universal Military Training and Service Act between June 24, 1948, and June 15, 1951, to active duty without their consent, at times other than during war or national emergency declared by Congress. Let us take a look at the exact statute itself. You will note that, if the present emergency had been declared by the Congress, this item need not be included in the bill. But, because the emergency has been declared by the President, on the termination of war this item will be needed. Colonel Schlanser is the witness on this. Mr. POLLAK. This is two solid pages. Mr. FEIGHAN. We will put it in the record without reading. (Committee insert.) 1 (a) (6) Item 88a LIABILITY OF INDUCTEES TO SERVE IN RESERVE COMPONENTS AND BE ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN TIME OF WAR (50 U. S. C. 454 (D)) TRANSFER TO RESERVE COMPONENT; PERIOD OF SERVICE (d) (1) Each person who hereafter and prior to the enactment of the 1951 Amendments to the Universal Military Training and Service Act [June 19, 1951], is inducted, enlisted, or appointed (except a person enlisted under subsection (g) of this section) and serves for a period of less than three years in one of the armed forces and meets the qualifications for enlistment or appointment in a reserve component of the armed force in which he serves, shall be transferred to a reserve component of such armed force, and until the expiration of a period of five years after such transfer, or until he is discharged from such reserve component, whichever occurs first, shall be deemed to be a member of such reserve component and shall be subject to such additional training and service as may now or hereafter be prescribed by law for such reserve component: Provided, That any such person who completes at least twenty-one months of service in the armed forces and who thereafter serves satisfactorily (1) on active duty in the armed forces under a voluntary extension for a period of at least one year, which extension if hereby authorized, or (2) in an organized unit of any reserve component of any of the armed forces for a period of at least thirty-six consecutive months, shall, except in time of war or national emergency declared by the Congress, be relieved from any further liability under this subsection to serve in any reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, but nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent any such person, while in a reserve component of such forces, from being ordered or called to active duty in such forces. (2) Each person who hereafter and prior to the enactment of the 1951 Amendments to the Universal Military Training and Service Act [June 19, 1951], is enlisted under the provisions of subsection (g) of this section and who meets the qualifications for enlistment or appointment in a reserve component of the armed forces shall, upon discharge from such enlistment under honorable conditions, be transferred to a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and shall serve therein for a period of six years or until sooner discharged. Each such person shall, so long as he is a member of such reserve component, be liable to be ordered to active duty, but except in time of war or national emergency declared by the Congress, no such person shall be ordered to active duty, without his consent and except as hereinafter provided, for more than one month in any year. In case the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, or the Secretary of the Air Force determines that enlistment, enrollment, or appointment in, or assignment to, an organized unit of a reserve component or an officers' training program of the armed force in which he served is available to, and can without undue hardship be filled by, any such person, it shall be the duty of such person to enlist, enroll, or accept appointment in, or accept assignment to, such organized unit or officers' training program and to serve satisfactorily therein for a period of four years. Any such person who fails or refuses to perform such duty may be ordered to active duty, without his consent, for an additional period of not more than twelve consecutive months. Any such person who enlists or accepts appointment in any such organized unit and serves satisfactorily therein for a period of four years shall, except in time of war or national emergency declared by the Congress, be relieved from any further liability under this subsection to serve in any reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, but nothing in this subsec tion shall be construed to prevent any such person, while in a reserve component of such forces, from being ordered or called to active duty in such forces. The Secretary of Defense is authorized to prescribe regulations governing the transfer of such persons within and between reserve components of the armed forces and determining, for the purpose of the requirements of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, the credit to be allowed any person so transferring for his previous service in one or more reserve components. (3) Each person who, subsequent to the date of enactment of this paragraph [June 19, 1951], is inducted, enlisted, or appointed in the Armed Forces or in the National Security Trairing Corps prior to attaining the twenty-sixth anniversary of his birth shall be required to serve on active training and service in the Armed Forces or in training in the National Security Training Corps, and in a reserve component, for a total period of eight years, unless sooner discharged on the grounds of personal hardship, in accordance with regulations and standards prescribed by the Secretary of Defense (or the Secretary of the Treasury with respect to the United States Coast Guard). Each such person, on release from active training and service in the Armed Forces or from training in the National Security Training Corps, shall, if physically and mentally qualified, be transferred to a reserve component of the Armed Forces, and shall serve therein for the remainder of the period which he is required to serve under this paragraph and shall be deemed to be a member of such reserve component during such period. In case the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, or the Secretary of the Air Force (or the Secretary of the Treasury with respect to the United States Coast Guard), determines that enlistment, enrollment, or appointment, or assignment to, an organized unit of a reserve component or an officers' training program of the armed force in which he served is available to, and can, without undue personal hardship, be filled by any such person, it shall be the duty of such person to enlist, enroll, or accept appointment in, or accept assignment to, such organized unit or officers' training program, and to serve satisfactorily therein. The Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, with the approval of the Secretary of Defense (and the Secretary of the Treasury with respect to the United States Coast Guard), may provide, by regulations which shall be as nearly uniform as practicable, for the release from training and service in the Armed Forces prior to serving the periods required by subsection (b) of this section of individuals who volunteer for and are accepted into organized units of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard and other reserve components. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent any person, while in a reserve component of the Armed Forces, from being ordered or called to active duty in such Armed Force. STATEMENT OF COL. LAWRENCE E. SCHLANSER, OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF, G-1, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Colonel SCHLANSER. I am Col. Lawrence E. Schlanser, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1, Department of the Army. This paragraph in the code pertains to the Reserve obligation of people inducted or who were enlisted during the period quoted under the terms of the old Selective Service Act prior to it being made into the Universal Military Training and Service Act. The extension of the authority that is requested will permit further utilization of those individuals in any future expansion that we may have of the Armed Forces. Primarily the Army is the one that has those people right now. At present we are not calling any enlisted reservists to duty, either as individuals or as members of units. However, we feel that the authority is necessary in case of a rapid expansion. Mr. BOGGS. This applies to enlisted men only? Colonel SCHLANSER. That is correct; yes, sir. Mr. FORRESTER. Does that apply to boys who have already been called back in, reservists who have served their time? Colonel SCHLANSER. A great many of those, sir, have satisfied their Reserve obligation and we have no further hold on them. 98207-52-3 |