Casualty Drop, Jump In Enlistments Cause Big Draft Quota Cut

Smaller Korean casualty lists and an increase in the number of enlistments have caused a cut in original draft quotas, Selective Service officials announced over the weekend.

One official contradicted an earlier statement of Major General Lewis B. Hershey, Selective Service director, that a sharp increase was due this spring Hershey told the House Armed Services Committee that 430,000 would be called in the seven months period ending June 30 of this year.

Hershey's Figures Outdated

Attributing Hershey's statement to use of outdated material, the aide asserted that the huge reduction in casualties, brought about by truce talks, and an unexpected enlistment increase, should lower the figure to 275,000 or 300,000 inductions, "barring unforeseen things."

The spokesman added that although the quotas are fixed by the Defense Department, it appears that it will call between 40,000 and 50,000 men during the April-June period.

Hershey later told reporters that he used the 430,000 figure because it was the most recent one he had, and that in any event it was means to represent not only inductions, but enlistments too.