Draft Call, AFROTC Term Slashed

The nation's draft crisis, reflected in 41 sisters by the calling of 18-year-olds, suddenly cased yesterday as the Pentagon announced a 25 per cent cut in draft calls starting July 1.

Major General E. C. Lynch, chief of the Defense Department's office of manpower requirements, said that the monthly quota will be cut from 50,000 to 37,500 with the coming fiscal year.

The Pentagon's projected cut followed closely a statement by Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey that a tightening of the deferment policies would be necessary to maintain the present draft quota.

With lower draft calls, however, the student deferment policy will probably continue without change.

Air Force ROTC flight students also took a 25 per cent cut yesterday, in length of active duty, when the University's AFROTC headquarters at Shannon Hall announced they will have to serve three years. The flight contracts formerly stipulated four years of active duty.

Only last week a Pentagon directive upped the length of service required of officers receiving a direct commission from two years to three.

AFROTC cadets who do not on to flying school still face a minimum two years in the Air Force.

In yesterday's draft statement, Lynch said quotas may actually run lower than 37,500 men a month as a result of Defense Secretary Charles 10. Wilson's resolve to cut military forces below their, present 3,50,000 level.

Moreover, the approaching fiscal year is an off-year in fresh manpower induction, based on the two year draft cycle. With a high number of men called in the first year after the outbreak of the Korean war, servicemen must be replaced every two years, pushing up draft calls in the alternate years.