Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-13
Military
Obligation
Absolute
Modern War Permit S
No Other Course
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON


II hate to say this burt i
feel that you have let us down
In not insisting that draftees be
discharged after one years serv-
Ice. Many Of your friends feel
the same way. don't always
have a chance To read your
column. Sometimes i don't see
daily papers and sometimes
am not in place where you
are published.
II know that you boosted the
selective draft from the begin
ming. But we were told that IL
was 10 be for one years train
ing had several causes for
claiming exemption. 1 had a
good job I'm what Is now called
defense industry My boss
promised he would hold IL open
for a year. i was engaged. My
girl promised she would wait. I
thought IL was up To me 10 get
myself ready for whatever
might happen. Both of us be-
lieved that year was not too
much to sacrifice.
But nobody told ms that this
Willingness was 10 put us I'm n
special class where, because of
IL. would have to serve indef-
initely when other men who
didn't feel the same way would
have no obligation whatever.
THE press did not tell us.
our representatives I'm Con-
gress didn't tell us. Even YOU
didn't tell us. We feel fooled"
T1ERE Is not space 10 quote
- this letter in full II is
echoed in one way or another
IN scores of letters. but | chose
this one because in its entirety
il IS so well-reaSoned. temperate
and sincere that il would bring
tears 10 the eyes of brass
Buddha.
First let me register an alibi.
Over and over again this column
warned of the jokers tf you
want TO call them thaD in all
the service bills 10 the effect
that, If Congress should declare
the national interest to be inn
periled, - all classes - national
guard, rescrviStS and Selectees
could be held indefinitely.
1t warned Of that during the
debate on the SeleCtive Service
Act and after it was passed. Ii
warned but II did not protest.
If the national interest is inn
periled, and obviously 1T is,
there IS no escape from this
grim inequality OF burdens.
/ think my correspondent Is
quite right. In general this pro-
vision in these laws was not
given. enough publicity and en-
phaSiS. In one OF the most eff
fcctIve speeches in the recent de
bate on extension of these terms
of service. Senator VandenberG
said something 10 the effect that
some of the greatest frauds are
what he called agate type
very small type) in contracts
That is true but il is the bust
pcSS of legislators 10 read the
agate lines. and | can't recall
that even the good senator made
much fuss about these agate
lines which were in the Draft
Act the National Guard Act OF
1920 amended 1881 and public
resolutions - and 96 governing
the terms Of service Of various
classes Of civilian Soldiery.
WHEN war draws near, and
w once again | quote from
EccleSiasticS. there is no dis
charge in that war" The present
debate and pending action IN
Congress on extending the term
OF service by II or lS months Is
Just some more froth. In every
form of phrasing l have seer
the terms of service can again
be extended by Congress.
Even If such phraslng were
not there, the extension could
constitutionally and legally be
made. The obligation 10 military
service is absolute and justly or
not, il falls first upon those who
by training and experience are
best fitted 10 render it.
This may be tough. bitter and
unpopular reading 10 such
young friends as my correspond
ent but il is the truth. Although
il comes with the bark off. if
know our younger generation -
and ! have four Of them in my
own family - that is the way
they want il.
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