Evening star., 1944-01-12
A Call to Duty

1ue PTeSlQentS call for adoption
OF a national service act opens
new chapter in our history. If this
carefully considered request is grant,
ed we will find ourselves, in the third
year OF this war and for the first
time since the United States became
nation, under legal Obligation
voluntarily aSsumed-to place our
selves without reservation in the
service OF our country. BY an act
which speaks louder than words. we
will be saying to the men who have
oeen sent out to fight and die that
we, TOO, have an obligation to serve
IN this war-an obligation which we
assume by law because it is our duty
to do so, and to the fulfillment of
which we pledge ourselves unre-
servedly for the duration.
There is no need to dwell upon the
tonic effect that this would have on
the morale of our own fighting men,
1t would be as stimulating for them
as 1t would be depressing for the
enemy. But neither need we de-
ceive ourselves by believing that it
Will be easy to take this unprece-
oented step in country whose ira
d1tlons of personal freedom run back
for more than a century and a half.
We may anticipate an imposing
array of objections-many of them
both plausible and sincere-and it
will be necessary to meet and answer
them on the merits of the case.
Some will say that a national
service law is not needed, that volun-
tary controls work better with free
men. We will hear it said that this
imposes involuntary servitude" on
American workers, that it estab-
fishes in the United States the verv
thing that we are supposed to be
fighting abroad. 1t will .e con-
tended that if the real purpose of
this law is to prevent strikes, that
result can better be attained by a
stronger law dealing specifically with
strikes. And others no doubt will
point to the fact that the Presidents
recommendation for national serv-
Ice act was conditioned upon the
adoption Of realistic" tax bill, a
satisfactory cost of food" law and
continuation of the Renegotiation
Act These conditions are so broad
that any man can define them to
suit himself, and those who are seek
Ing excuses to oppose a service act
will. be able to find them in abun-
dance.
But it is necessary, imperatively
necessary, that we take a longer
view. We must face the fact that
wars are not won painlessly, at the
battle fronts or at home. We must
look beyond the objections which are
so easy to find to the larger goal,
which is to win the war as quickly
as possible and with as little loss of
life. On that score we have this
statement from the President: "AS
you know, I have for three years
hesitated to recommend a national
service act. Today, however, I am
convinced of it's necessity. Although
I believe that we and our Allies can
win the war without such measure.
1 am certain that nothing less than
total mobilization of all our resources
of manpoWer and capital will guar
antee an earlier victory, and reduce
the toll of suffering and sorrow and
blood"
That defines the issue clearly. Our
troops are taking their stations for
the hardest and costliest campaigns
of the war. If the American people,
through their representatives in
Congress, will dedicate themselves
fully to the service of their country
they can shorten the campaigns and
cut down the casualty lists. 1t is
inconceivable that any thoughtful
American will want to do less.
The real new order in Europe,