Vinson Plans UMT Bill Vote By Feb. 26th

The U.M.T. bill may be ready for a House vote within three weeks. Representative Carl Vinson (D-Ga.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committe, said yesterday he plans to whip the bill into shape by February 26 for its first test on Capitol Hill.

Earlier in the day, the committee approved a set of operating rules for U.M.T. and recommended it to Congress, but left the starting date for the program open to future decision. The vote reportedly was 27 to 7.

Basically, the plan calls for six months of military training for all eligible men soon after their 18th birthdays, followed by seven and a half years in the reserves. In full operation, the program would take in some 300,000 trainees a year.

U.M.T. --Would End Present Draft

The program could not take effect until Congress or President Truman had ended the present draft of youths below the age of 19 or had reduced their term of service. After that, the U.M.T. program could be started by the President or Congress--if the bill passes.

The measure generally follows the lines of a plan submitted by a commission headed by former Senator James W. Wadsworth of New York, and lays stress throughout on civilian control of the trainees.

Other rules written in by the group include reemployment benefits for the youths and a provision under which trainees would be stationed as close as possible to their homes.