Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-11-28
BEHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
MaIlon

Mr.. Roosevelt came. out strong
for il and the L.. s. Chamber OF
Commerce announced poll OF
member showed 10 TO l favor
ing it (2,229 for, 239 againsD.
When you get two such gen.
orally disagreeing and powerful
forces as the President and
business on one side. the propo-
sition is likely to go through
Congress - fast and furiously.
Some polls of the ordinary peo-
pie also suggest support around
B TO l.
So we are going TO have some
yet undefeated kind of eemPHl-
sorry military training, enacted
early in the new Congress.
THE impelling motive behind
this drive. l Judge, is fear Of
what is going to happen to this
country after the war. With
what you read daily in the news
from here and abroad, it is no
wonder that a substantial sense
OF insecurity has arisen.
l gather nearly every one
would be in favor of leaving
future leadership in a crisis to
the men now fighting the war
at the front together with the
youngsters coming up who will
he primarily affected by this
long step toward national de-
Tense. That idea, at any rate,
lies unspoken at the root of con-
sentative support.
The liberal support is based
more on the social aspects of
the idea of the government
taking the youth in hand for
uniform training of a nonmili-
tary nature primarily.
Thus, before a specific propo-
sition has been offered by any
one in authority as TO exactly
how to do it, opposing forces
are gathering behind the idea
for practically opposite reasons.
All that is discernible now is that
it will mean taking a year from
the life of every male citizen
Congress is likely TO leave out
the girls although New Dealers
want them i'm somewhere be-
tween the ages II and 20, in
elusive. and that "a certain de-
gree of the volunteer spirit"
as the Chamber puts it, will he
maintained by allowing the
100000 trainees to select their
courses in both the army and
navy and air branches" the
total cost to run from $1,000
100000 to $500, 100000 a year.
THERE will be opposition and
Il a fight over the details. i'm
deed. the Chambers own COM
mittee divided II 10 4 on the
main proposition. The majority
held training necessary for ma
tional defense, that it would be
a factor in preventing war
and was an excellent national
health measure.
The minority report seemed
TO me to be better thought out.
1t showed France. with three
years of compulsory military
training was over-run by Ger
many. that Hitler with only
100000 ready synchronlzed
troops crushed the Polish army
of a million in a few weeks.
Numbers do not make an
army, any more than Maginot
Lines mean security for pease.
Up-to-date skill, invented genius
in weapons Conference, readiness
or what might be simply
called properly mechanical
force-is far more important for
security than youth training.
THO ME, compulsory military
i training is a method of de-
tense proved by the facts Of this
war TO be as archaic as the
Maginot Line theory. While
democratic nations have had IT.
for us to adopt it now at this
period, in view espe ally OF
nonmilitary factors involved,
seems a wholly unnecessary
move toward goose-stepism.
1t is an invention of the Prus-
slams. Just like rocket bombs,
hut they started it back in 1870
after the Franco-Prussian war.
We should devise something
modern for defense and training
and make it fit our democratic
system.
I have suggested putting the
system into the high schools and
colleges as required four-year
subject, so 40 10 so per cent
Of the boys will not be taken
away from home: enlarging
West Point and Annapolis; en-
larged well equipped, wholly
reorganized national naval and
army guard units u der federal
supervision for those who do
not attend schools. These are
democratic ways.
paoplp in tbie country would