Evening star., 1940-08-09
The National Guard

An example of enlightened non
partisanship which should be emu
lated by all members of the Senate
was set yesterday by Senator Austin,
Republican, of Vermont in the
debate on the bill empowering the
President to call out the National
Guard and Organized Reserves for a
one-year training period.
The real test on this question
came not on the final vote but on
an amendment which would have
permitted the President to use the
Guard only in The continental
United States, its Territories and
possessions. Had this amendment
been adopted it would have had
the effect of serving notice on the
other American republics that they
could look for only limited support
from the United States, and for
that reason would have seriously
endangered our position in this
hemisphere. In spite of this objec-
ton, however, the amendment, as
evidenced by the thirty-nine to
thirty-eight vote by which it was
defeated, was strongly supported,
largely as a result of the unwar-
ranted contention that the Presi-
dent, if given full power over the
Guard, might send these men on
dangerous adventures to foreign
countries.
This contention drew the fire of
Senator Austin, who said: II regard
the situation as one of extreme peril.
Are we going to imperil the security
of the United States merely because
we don't trust the President? I do
not expect that he is going to send
any of the National Guard and
Organized Reserves into a foreign
land unless there is cause for it,
But someone must have the author
ity." In all probability this state
ment by the assistant minority
leader-ref1ecting his determination
to put the interests of his country
above narrow and petty partisan
ship-was the decisive factor in the
ultimate defeat of the amendment.
Passage by the Senate of the
National Guard legislation, however,
is only preliminary step in the
defense program. To round out our
defenses in terms of man power it
Is essential that the Burke-W -Wads-
worth selective service bill, now
ready for consideration by the Sen
ate, be approved.
This legislation authorizes the
creation of a trained reserve of man
power in time of peace and is based
on the realization that soldiers, un-
der present combat conditions, can
not be trained adequately after war
begins.
Lieutenant General Hugh A. Drum,
speaking to the First Army on We'd
nesday, stressed this point in dis
cussing the lessons we must learn
from the fighting in Europe.
This Nation, he warned, must pro-
vide man power trained, organized
and equipped for modern combat.
We must recognize the prob
lens involved in creating a modern
fighting army. Otherwise the de-
feats recently experienced by great
military powers may be inflicted
upon our own people"
Lieutenant General Drum is quail
fed to speak authoritatively on the
difficulty of creating an effective
army, even when the necessary men
are available. He knows, and does
not hesitate to say, that this job,
If it is to be done at all under
existing conditions, must be done
before the necessity to fight arises.
Those Senators who have announced
their intention to oppose this bill
should ask themselves whether they
are willing to gamble the very life
OF the country on their belief that
war will not come to America.