Evening star., 1940-06-04
The Political Mill
Universal Military Training Is Seen as
Means Of ForestoIIing Attack on U. S.

duties Of Americans rather than
on their rights to an easy life, OF
one kind or another.
If Germany should dominate Eu-
rope 1t is perfectly obvious that
this country will have to be on its
guard constantly. There is only one
way to be on guard-a way which
the Allies, France and Great Brit
ain, overlooked, apparently. There
must be not only training, but the
country must be in a position to
provide the trained men with the
weapons and munitions they re-
quire in modern warfare.
In the United States there are
130,OO0,000 people, and a very con-
siderable proportion of them are
able to bear arms in defense of the
country, provided they are trained.
1t seems stupid not now to provide
for their training, even should war
never touch these shores. Certainly
II this country is prepared to fight,
the chances of an attack are min
imiZed.
France Cuts Expense.
The French are able to bring
about universal military training
and service-without the huge ex-
pense that would be attached to a
system which paid all the men on
scale provided for the Regular
Army in this country. Part of the
training, part of the service, which
is rendered in France is a wiling
ness Of the men in training to re-
ceive a very small sum of money,
lntinltesimal in fact, while they are
being trained. 1t is easy to under
stand that If all the men of 18 to 20
years of age in this country were
placed In training-or all the men
OF 18 years alone, and were paid
the same rate as the present men
OF the Regular Army, the expense
would be tremendous.
In 1919 John Erskine. who occu-
pied the position of chairman of
the Army Educational Committee
OF the A. E. F., prepared a paper
on Universal Training for Ma
tional Defense His proposal was
that the training should be half
military, half civil. His contention
was that it would vastly benefit the
young men of this country. He
planned to have the training in
clude all other duties of citizenship
besides military. At the same time.
he provided for a compulsory train
ing period of IL months with the
colors, from September to Sep
tember l. or from June l to June l.
Half for Military Service.
Prof Erskine recommended that
this period should be begun be-
tween the ages of 18 and 20 wears.
perhaps a little earlier, as expert
ence might prove advisable. He
said that approximately one-half
OF this period should be for mill
tary science and for physical de-
velopment, and the other half, un-
der military discipline in school, in
vocational or in college subjects.
~ WOO IOl. assertion
that the mobilization of America S
man power, under the draft in the
World War, showed many defcien-
cies and that these could be cured
by such a period of training. His
plan was for peacetime. rather than
wartime, yet it also looked to ma
tional defense in big way. Today,
with the threat of war coming from
every side. this Nation owes it to
itself to demand the training and
the service-if which
goes with such a system.
Up to now, this Government has
leaned over backwards to avoid the
semblance Of compulsory military
training. If the boys in the C. C. c.
camps had been given such train
ing, valuable nucleus would al