Evening star., 1940-07-13
Military Training

Current indications that this Gov
ernment at last is beginning to move
toward insuring an adequate supply
of trained men to handle the modern
military machine that we are build
ing is the most encouraging develop
ment of the day.
The war in Europe has been in
progress for almost a year and for
several months it has been plain
that our security in this hemisphere
is seriously threatened, but an in
tensified - though unsatisfactory -
recruiting drive for volunteers
marked the extent of our efforts to
strengthen numerically our various
combat units. We have been appro-
priating and authorizing the expend-
iture of billions of dollars for the
mechanical implements of war
guns, planes, tanks and ships-but
as Nation we have refused here
tofore to face the fact that the finest
equipment would be worthless with
out thoroughly trained and seasoned
men to use it. 1t is because Of this
past lack of realism, this refusal to
act upon the demonstrated truth
that modern army Is based upon
trained men as well as materiel, that
the statements yesterday by General
George C. Marshall, chief of staff,
and Stephen Early, secretary to the
President, are particularly gratifying
and timely. Their pronouncements
do not, of themselves, assure a uni
versal military training program,
based upon selective draft, but they
are a promising and tangible start
in that direction.
General Marshall, appearing be-
fore the Senate Military Affairs Com
mittee to testify in support Of the
Burke -Wadsworth selective service
bill with the modification that it
should prescribe training period OF
a year to fifteen months, expressed
his conviction that it is 'absolutely
necessary" that compulsory training
be started at once. To accomplish
this, he proposed that initially 100000
to 100000 conscripts between the
ages of twenty-one and thirty-one
be selected for training by September
! in order to bring the Regular Army
quickly to a strength of 100000 men
and the National Guard in service
to about 100000.
This testimony, strongly supported
by other witnesses before the COM
mittee and Endorsed by its chairman,
Senator Sheppard, was followed by
an announcement from Mr.. Early,
speaking for the President, that some
$4,000 National Guardsmen will be
called into extended service as soon
as Congress grants the necessary
authority. The Guardsmen, who,
General Marshall said, should be
called up right now" for a minimum
training period of year, are ex-
pected to be used primarily in the
training of conscripts, thereby free
ing the Regular Army for develop
ment as a basic striking force.
The proposal advanced by General
Marshall has two great advantages
over any other system OF training.
First, 1t would insure gradually
increasing number of trainees so
that men will be available as our
supply of new weapons increases,
and, second, it would eliminate the
necessity of maintaining a large
standing army by providing stable
reserve of men we'll trained in the
science of modern war.
No longer are there any tenable
arguments against the democratic
system of compulsory selective serv-
ice. Nor is there any possible excuse
for further delay. Congress, when
it returns on July %, should proceed
at once to the enactment of selec-
tive-service law and legislation to
hermit such use of the National