Over 5 million from the Army have already passed through the separation centers.

The Navy, including the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, has discharged over one and a half million.

Of the 12 million men and women serving in the Army and Navy at the time of the surrender of Germany, one-half have already been released.  The greater part of these had to be brought back to this country from distant parts of the world.

Of course there are cases of individual hardship in retention of personnel in the service.  There will be in the future.  No system of such size can operate to perfection.  But the systems are rounded on fairness and justice, and they are working at full speed.  We shall try to avoid mistakes, injustices, and hardship—­as far as humanly possible.

We have already reached the point where shipping is no longer the bottleneck in the return of troops from the European theater.  The governing factor now has become the requirement for troops in sufficient strength to carry out their missions.

In a few months the same situation will exist in the Pacific.  By the end of June, 9 out of 10 who were serving in the armed forces on Ve-day will have been released.  Demobilization will continue thereafter, but at a slower rate, determined by our military responsibilities.

Our national safety and the security of the world will require substantial armed forces, particularly in overseas service.  At the same time it is imperative that we relieve those who have already done their duty, and that we relieve them as fast as we can.  To do that, the Army and the Navy are conducting recruiting drives with considerable success.

The Army has obtained nearly 400,000 volunteers in the past four months, and the Navy has obtained 80,000.  Eighty percent of these volunteers for the regular service have come from those already with the colors.  The Congress has made it possible to offer valuable inducements to those who are eligible for enlistment.  Every effort will be made to enlist the required number of young men.

The War and Navy Departments now estimate that by a year from now we still will need a strength of about 2 million including officers, for the armed forces—­Army, Navy, and Air.  I have reviewed their estimates and believe that the safety of the Nation will require the maintenance of an armed strength of this size for the calendar year that is before us.

In case the campaign for volunteers does not produce that number, it will be necessary by additional legislation to extend the Selective Service Act beyond May 16, the date of expiration under existing law.  That is the only way we can get the men and bring back our veterans.  There is no other way.  Action along this line should not be postponed beyond March, in order to avoid uncertainty and disruption.

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