Evening star., 1940-06-09
lime to Wuke Up

nOlSJeQ tentative trial balloon
through his comment approving, in
principle, compulsory military train
ing. All the logic of the present
situation suggests that the step be
taken as a preparedness measure. 1t
is clear that a definite threat to the
safety of the United States exists.
That being the case, and common
sense and logic support such con-
cluSlon, then universal, compul-
sorry military training for young men
should be inaugurated as soon as it
is physically possible to do so-which,
unfortunately, is not any too soon.
But, aside from universal military
training purely as a preparedness
move against war, the time has come
when it should be considered on
other grounds. AS a Nation we have
grown fat and soft. For twenty years
we have been following the delusive
theory that any gesture Savoring of
milltarism is synonymous with i'm
perlallstic aggression; that peace at
any price is the national objective
and to reach it we must lead the
world in disarmament; that compul-
sorry military training in peacetime
is repugnant to every principle of a
free democracy; that our young men
and women are free agents who owe
nothing to their country beyond
formal lip service to the flag.
Hitler has demonstrated the eX-
tent of the fools paradise in which
we have been living. He has shown
the world the might of a nation in
arms-a goose-stepping nation, if
you will, but disciplined nation of
disciplined men and women. Britain
and France, after nine months of
frantic effort to prepare themselves,
starting with a foundation superior
to that which we find in the United
States today, are now fighting with
their backs to the wall
AS an article printed elsewhere in
todays Star points out, if we decided
to adopt universal training today it
would be months before the first
recruits could be fitted with shoes,
uniforms, mess kits, rifles and place
to sleep. Has not the time come to
undertake, and to undertake at once,
the necessarily vast preparations for
a real program Of compulsory mill
tary training?
Suppose the war ends within a
short time in victory for the Allies.
Suppose some mundane miracle re-
moves, within a fortnight, the men
ace of Hitlerism. A program for COM
pulsory military training for the
young men of America would still be
most desirable. 1t would give our
young men the benefits of disciplined
training, it would harden them
physically and it would serve to in
culcate the spirit of universal service
military and civil-which we must
learn if this democracy is to survive
In a new world order.
One of the most astonishing re-
actions to the Presidents recent sug-
gestion concerning the training of
Civilian Conservation Corps recruits
in industrial trades as a prepared
ness move has been the absurd sug-
gestion that to use these young men
for that purpose would constitute a
form of discrimination against a
class of our population What could
be a greater blessing to these for
tunate young men of the G. c. c.,
who already have won the respect of
the Nation for the useful construc-
tive and disciplined work they have
done, than to train them in useful
trades, regardless of whether their
skill will be applied later to the tools
of war or the tools of constructive in
dustry? Where is there another such
great opportunity to serve the inter
ests of these young men, all volun-
teers, and the interests of the country
at the same time?
Yet the Presidents suggestion has
Deen answered In some quarters Dy
the puerile contention that the plan
is to select the poor boys for service
In the trenches while the rich boys,
presumably, sip their sodas, un-
molested, at the corner drug store.
That contention is indicative of the
mushy sentimentality to which the
lush years of peace have contributed.
1t is a relic of the tragically mis-
guided youth movements" which
have exhibited themselves as a
phenomena of the times. The con-
ception of service to the Nation, the
conception of universal sacrifice to
the Nation, the conception of an
allegiance stronger than personal
welfare and comfort have all but
been lost while blatant demagogues
have stressed the Nations response
bility to it's people and have scoffed
at the peoples responsibility to the
Nation.
Universal military training should
be considered now as a necessary