This may be more like what you're really asking for...
$CONTROL USLINIT
 IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
 PROGRAM-ID. asciix.
*  SHOW ASCII CHARACTER NUMBERS (DECIMAL)
 ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
 DATA DIVISION.
 WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
 01  MYSTRING        PIC X(40).
 01  ASCII-NUMBER    PIC S9(4) COMP  VALUE ZERO.
 01  REDEFINES ASCII-NUMBER.
     05              PIC X.
     05  ASCII-CHAR  PIC X.
 01  J               PIC S9(4) COMP.
 01  DISPLAY-NUMBER  PIC 999.
 PROCEDURE DIVISION.
 ASCIIX-MAIN.
     DISPLAY "ENTER YOUR STRING, 40 CHARS MAX..."
     MOVE SPACES         TO  MYSTRING
     ACCEPT MYSTRING
     DISPLAY MYSTRING
     PERFORM VARYING J FROM 1 BY 1
       UNTIL J > 40
         MOVE MYSTRING ( J : 1 )     TO  ASCII-CHAR
         MOVE ASCII-NUMBER           TO  DISPLAY-NUMBER
         DISPLAY DISPLAY-NUMBER ' ' NO ADVANCING
     END-PERFORM
     DISPLAY ' '
     .

K Tracy Pierce
Systems Programmer
Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District
San Francisco, CA  94129-0601