The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-09-22
PEACETIME, COMPULSORY
MILITARY TRAINING

Among the many issues which are
going to be heard about when the
shooting stops and the world once
more tries to go TRANQUILITY about its
busintss, is that of peactime, com
pulsory, military training.
This is a question loaded with dy-
Mantle and, just because there are
so many valid arguments on both
sides, it is going to be exceedingly
difficult to discuss it free from ran
cor and prejudice, and in proportion
as rancor and prejudice rule mems
minds and passions will it be that
much more difficult to arrive at cor
rect conclusion. 1t is only when men s
minds are free and their spirits ex-
allied that they can give to public
questions that calm and informed
Judgment which will lead them to de-
eide on the basis of the greatest good
10 the greatest number while not ne
glecting the rights of the minority
groups.
Those who favor peacetime, COM
pulsory military training assert that
| if there should be a third World War
it would start so suddenly that there
would not be time to condition our
men physically, as was done in this
war and World War l. 1t is obvious
that mon cannot be taken from a
desk job and relegated to the rigor-
Gus activities of army maneuvers
Overnight anymore than they could
change to pick and shovel work with
out gradually adjusting themselves
to it.
But physical conditioning is only
one phase of training for active mil
ltary duty. 1t will be recalled that
when certain of our leaders in gov
eminent and private industry saw
this war approaching, their pleas fol
preparation were drowned out in a
chorus of shouts that they were war
mongers." This was followed by a
series of arguments that the two
oceans would protect us anyway, and
the sum total of it was to leave the
country almost wholly unprepared
for war This resulted in the Axis
powers declaring that the American
people were soft and would not
light anyway Those in favor of ae-
Iuate, peacetime military training
contend that if other nations know
tkat our youth and young manhood
are ready to fight, they will think
vice before attacking us.
That is one side of the picture
those who are opposed to peacetime
compulsory military training empha-
size the fact that We are a nation OF
rec men. They hold that anything
compulsory cannot exist in a free
.ountry, that compulsion and free
lom are just as opposed as light and
darkness. They stress the fact that
we have nevtr had compulsory, peace
ime military in this country.
Another argument whick those op-
-osed to peacetime, compulsory mill
airy training use is that it would be
more appropriate to use the funds
| equired to train a citizen soldiery
n building more and better schools
they hold that both World Wars
nave shown that the graduates OF
American high schools and colleges
lave shown an ability to think quick
y and correctly when confronted
With emergencies that has transcend
ID the achievements of the soldiers
Who had been forced into peacetime
military training against their will
The quickness with which the Uni
ed States of America changed its
actories to wartime basis is anoth-
r argument which those opposed to
)eacetime, compulsory military train
ng use in their contention that such
raining is not necessary
The foregoing are only ftw OF
he arguments that have so far ap-
feared on both sides of this difficult
problem. Doubtless many more argu-
nents will be developed as the post
var debate on it proceeds. There are
many irrelative questions that will
bob up as the discussion continues
Both groups are opposed to war
Their differences grow out of the Sc
ection of the method best calculated
% achieve that wholly desirable end
Washington News Bulletin