Show decrease Ap reported ported in army enlistments high intelligence standards result in decline washington eighty thousand men are needed monthly to bring the army up to normal strength it was disclosed bya bythe by the war depart ment new fall enlistments are running 25 per cint cent short of 0 the number required lor bare replacement of discharged an officer said war department de part ment figures agures show that enlistments for forstie fort ahe tie first seven months ot f 1947 averaged aye raged a month the ormi army estimates that new recruits a month are needed to keep strength at present levels with still larger enlistments necessary to buildup to the 1070 men authorized authorize torce force officials said the thearty th army earmy could double its enlistments immediately if it could afford to scrap its new high standards for admission in one month the army rejected approximately half of the men who applied tor for enlistments in the majority ol of cases for failure to pass intelligence tests the army made its entrance exam considerably tougher at the beginning of this year because experience peri ence had proved that men of higher intelligence were needed to hold down the many technical jobs in the postwar service before the passing grade was raised 22 out ot of every uve volunteers failed to pass the test in a recent month the average was up to 35 failures out of applicants in addition 10 per cent of 0 the men who appeared at recruiting offices nt pass the physical examinations and a small percentage was rejected tor for what the army calls moral dis qualifications high war department officers at ar firm in their determination not ta n lower the atmas ardys standards in order to make up recruiting deficits we tried it once two years ago i spokesman said we threw open the ranks to almost anyone but idiots and the result was nothing but trouble we just cant use dull ards in the army now |