Evening star., 1940-06-26
Defense Mobilization

WIN Americas naval defenSeS
daily growing in Importance, due to
alarming developments in Europe
and the Far East, President Roosevelt
has taken another major step in his
prudent and fortnight program of
moblllzing the Nations manpower
for preparedness. He has moved
swiftly to arrange system of volun-
tary training of applicants for line
officer commissions in a new branch
of the Naval Reserve, to be known
as class VI. Recruiting will begin
this week with view to commits
sloning five thousand Naval Reserve
ensigns after four months of active
duty and instruction ashore and
afioat. This training course will fit
IN with the broad program of COM
pulsory military service, combatant
and non-combatant, now under con-
sideration.
Thls is additional evidence of the
realistic alertness of the President
and his advisers with respect to the
gravity OF aggression's threat and
the urgent need for drastic, coura-
geous measures on the part of Amer
lea and Americans to meet that
tnreat. This consciousness of peril
is IN sharp contrast to the lamentable
complacency which still seems to
drug the minds of some of our
political Spokesmen when universal
military service is mentioned. Gov-
ernor Harold E. Stassen of Mime
sofa, the Republican "keynoter," for
example, denounced the Presidents
suggestion OF a broad system of non
comoatant training for young people
as un-American. BY a process of
confused thinking or of misunder-
standing of what MIR. Roosevelt said
on the subject at a recent press con-
terence, Governor Stassen presented
an unjustified, distorted picture of a
Nation dotted with "compulsory
Government camps" into which
would be "herded" all boys and girls
between the ages of eighteen and
tWenty'-presumably snatched in
discriminatory from homes and
schools and jobs and placed at the
mercy of New Deal social expert
menterS." That is not the picture
which was envisioned by CORE
spondents who heard Mr.. Roosevelts
Endorsement of national universal
training for front line and behind
the lines defense. Nor is it the pic
ture contemplated under legislation
introduced with bipartisan sponsor
ship last week, designed to fit "every
able-bodied man into his proper
place under fair system of selective
compulsory military training and
service" Under this bill all men
between the ages of eighteen and
sixty-flve would be registered, and
they would be indicted into service
when Congress authorized, for eight
months of training in regular combat
duties or for home defense activities.
Schedules would be arranged so that
there would be minimum of incon-
venience to workers or students.
In a world which has become
largely dominated by men under
arms, the United States can i'll afford
to remain Nation made up for the
most part of men totally unprepared
to respond to their country's call in
event of attack. The men of America
are willing to take up arms If the
need arises-and they should not be
forced to 60 into action without the
training and the toughening of ply
sical and moral fiber which they
must have to face an experienced
foe. To deprive our youths of this
vital opportunity for advance prepa-
ration would be to render them and
the Nation a disservice both tragic
and un-American in the extreme.
This is not and must not be made
partisan issue and the Republican
party will make a serious mistake il
it attempts to play politics with so
vital national defense measure.