Low Budget May Rule Out Further Draft Till Mid '50

President Truman's budget message has virtually blocked the draft until July, 1950, National Army Headquarters told the CRIMSON last night.

In his speech to Congress yesterday, the President asked for a peacetime Army of 677,000 officers and men. But the Army already has 660,000 in its ranks. This means that it can accept only 17,000 recruits and draftees in the next fiscal year, plus replacements to vacancies.

Enlistments High

Voluntary enlistments and re-enlistments are currently coming in at the rate of 35,000 a month. If this flow keeps up, the Army will easily stay at its quota without issuing any draft calls, the CRIMSON learned.

The Defense Department had previously asked Truman for $23 billion to keep up an Army of 900,000, as authorized by Congress. Truman announced a $15 billion limit a month ago and quoted a slightly lower figure in today's message.

The Army will thus be able to take only 7% as many new men as it hoped to.

Selective Service Headquarters were unwilling to predict yesterday whether the draft would definitely be called off and the boards closed.