Evening star., 1940-07-24
The First Step

The First Step
BY voting approval of the revised
Burke -Wadsworth compulsory selec-
tive service bill, the Senate Military
Affairs Committee has taken the first
step in the long and difncult process
of building up this country's re-
sources in trained man power to
point where we will be reasonably
protected against the danger of
attack on this hemisphere.
The Senate committee has acted
with commendable celebrity, since it
began consideration of the measure,
but it must be realized that we have
been guilty Of inexcusable delay in
launching this vitality important
phase of national preparedness. Nor
should the favorable committee ac-
tion be permitted to lull our growing
,awareness of Americas grave de-
flciency in trained men. AS begin
ming, the committees action is
gratifying, but it would be difficult to
overemphasize the fact that it is only
a first step. The bill has a long
Legislative road to travel before it
can finally become law, and still
more months will elapse before the
preparations preliminary to the
actual commencement of the first
years training program can be COM
pleted. If Britain should be crushed
during the next few months there is
no assurance that the victors would
give us the year or more that will be
necessary for the training of the first
quota of recruits. For that reason
not single day of the time that is
left to us can be wasted without
gravely impairing the national
security.
The Burke e-Wadsworth bill, which
provides the framework for the
broadest possible selective service
program, may be expected to en-
counter some opposition in Congress.
One of its opponents, Senator VAN
denberg of Michigan, already has
expressed doubt of the necessity or
wisdom of peacetime conscription,
but the Michigan Senator's position
Is wholly untenable.
His principal contention is that
conscription may be unnecessary,
that the Regular Army could be
Increased within five months by VOL
unteer enlistments from it's present
strength of 240,0O0 to 375, 1000 men.
Even it that be true, and some Army
spokesmen disagree, it is entirely
beside the point. Our defense
preparations are not being shaped to
accommodate force OF 375,O0O men.
The billions of dollars. in appropria-
tions and authorizations which Con-
gress, with the full approval of
Senator Vandenberg, has voted are
expected to provide the Nation with
airplanes, guns, tanks and other i'm
plements Of war adequate to the
defense Of the Americas from any
aggression. That is not a job for
375,000 men. It is a task which can
be accomplished only by the CO.
ordinated efforts Of all able bodied,
eligible men, and it is foredoomed to
failure unless these men are trained
and ready in advance of war.
The purpose Of the Burke-Wads-
worth bill is not to create a large
standing army. It is intended to
provide an adequate reserve of
trained men if need for large army
should arise. There is real danger to
our security in acceptance of the
belief that the enlistment of 10000
men in five months would be an
appropriate national safeguard. All
the lessons of experience, all the
counsel of our military experts,
points to the single conclusion that
men cannot be trained for war after
war starts. In this era of surprise
attack by fast-moving mechanical
units the Nation that is not pre-
pared, both in men and materiel,
when hostilities begin is doomed. In
the Burke Wadsworth bill there is
provided the only equitable and
democratic method by which the
people of this country can be assured
that the United States will not Join
the ranks of those nations which
already have been conquered because
they were not ready when the test
came. But we have no time to lose.
.ea Refugee Children