The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-08-29
OUR CONGRESSMAN
News Letter Written for The Ely Miner by
WILLIAM A. PITTENGER
Member Congress- Eighth Minnesota District
Member Of Congress, Eighth Minnesota District

NATIONAL DEFENSE has been the
major consideration of Congress during
the month of August. 1t will undoubt-
edly claim the attention of all branches
of Government for many months to
come. The rearmament program just
getting under way, such as, the manu-
facture of airplanes, training of pilots
and mechanics, building of a two
ocean Navy, tanks, guns, munitions,
other armament and war materials for
mechanical Army, together with
other numerous detectives, cannot and
will not be accomplished over night.
This type of national defense program
has had my wholehearted support and
in my opinion, there is no room for
partisanship when the welfare of
America is at stake.
THE NATIONAL GUARD MOBILI-
ZATION BILL passed Congress during
August, and under this measure the
President can call out approximately
100000 National Guardmen and Re-
serviStS for service in the Western
Hemisphere. I supported this legisla-
ton. In an emergency, the President
could supplement the present regular
army, and this legislation is in line
with the steps that we ought to take
to guard or defend our own country.
DRAFT AND CONSUMPTION
LEGISLATION in peace time is of
dangerous import, and have not sup
ported the Burke WadsWorth bills
| which have for their detectives the
raising of large standing army in
peace times. There are too many pos
sibilities of a dictatorship for the United
States with the country "militarized"
as planned by this legislation.
There is serious doubt in my mind as
to the wisdom of calling up large
number of men, which is provided in
the pending bill before the rearma-
ment program is nearing completion
At this time we do not have the air.
planes or the tanks or the guns with
which to train these men, nor do we
have the housing or training facilities
for them Sometime ago in maneuvers
of the National Guard it developed that
men had to use wooden guns and auto
mobiles for tanks.
I would certainly vote for bill that
provided for registration, setting up the
necessary boards, and classifying en-
rollees as to training, physical con-
dition, etc. All of this could be done
and when necessary, Congress could
pass appropriate legislation as defense
if this country required it.
If the safety of the nation is threat
ened, and there is danger of invasion,
or National emergency has been de-
clared by Congress, that is another
story, and under those circumstances
would not hesitate to vote for draft
or compulsory military training bill
incidentally, wealth and materials and
resources ought to be conscripted as
well as men,
In the meantime, the pay of the
regular army ought to be increased and
volunteer enlistmenus encouraged. ]
have asked the question many times
and places why the training of men
could not take place this fall in their
own home localities The new warfare
will be mechanical" if the experience
in Europe means anything. A trained
army of mechanics will be needed for
the tanks and machinery and materials
with which a modern army goes into
battle These same remarks apply to
the training of men for the air corps
TRADE SCHOOL TRAINING-The
Government should take immediate
steps to train all young men within
required ages to do mechanical work
that is required by modern warfare
methods. Our colleges and high schools
can and should be utilized for those
purposes, and training should be given
as now taught in recognized trade
schools Boys in CCC camps and young
men not in school should be given such
training If additional requirement!
are needed, the Armories in the diff
ferent states can be utilized, and mer
can be taught and drilled in those To-
calities. think that program along
these lines is Of real value in the Ma
tional Defense Plans. I know of M
reason why the Junior Colleges ant
other schools in the Eighth Congress
sional District, where they have airpor