Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-09-01
BEHIND
NEWS
BY auI.
MaIIon

WAShlN y y ~ aug u
W War department, American
Legion. and others. seeing how
our nation was recently near
destruction because OF its mill
tary deficiencies. are pushing
compulsory military training.
Bills have been introduced in
Congress 10 require each Amer
lean youth, like the Europeans
for many generations past, TO
serve a year or so in the army.
The women leaders. who
have always killed such pro-
poSalS, are promoting a new
substitute this time. heard
woman organization leader adj
vocate II on the radio.
They want TO train the youth
In a nonmilitary way under fed
eral auspices with the money OF
the state, 10 make them good
democratic citizens. y
We need a military force-so
we train one IN citizenship
CAN they really believe the
" nation could have b cen
saved against the NaziS if the
youth had just been good
democratic citizens" and not
good soldiers? What could good
citizenship have done at Pearl
Harbor?
Any soldier will tell his
mother that the best trained
soldier has the best expectancy
of life. 1t is the poorly trained
citizen soldier who is least able
TO protect himself in fight.
Every one seems agreed We
need military training of
larger section of our youth than
formerly. We need it for love
of our country and its ideals.
and the protection of both in
this world, such as 1t is. We
need it more than ever because
protection rests upon mastery
of mechanical devices such as
planes and tanks.
The proposal of the ladies
would defeat the purpose of
what we agree we need. 1t is
much worse than that. because
II proposes TO have the federal
government take over the minds
and bodies of the youth in their
formative period. not for de-
Tense of the country which is
their common obligation TO the
state. but for political educa-
ton.
Is this not democratic Hitler
ism What is the real differ
enCe IN method. between draft
ing youth for camp education in
citizenship. and the Hitler and
MuSsolini youth movements and
youth camps?
TIiE war department. Legion,
Il ct al, have a similar weak
ness IN their proposal. = '1nry
want the training we need 10
be accomplished by compulSion
of the citizen, arguing that
otherwise the youth would not
join in the program.
If the war department, the
Legion, and the ladies all turned
their thoughts away from these
current sloughs Of dictatorial
imitation. and sought demo-
cratic methods of attaining
their detectives. they could have
agreed upon method by now.
! can think of some democratic
ways il could surely be done.
Treble or quadruple the size
Of West Point and Annapolis,
for the first thing. Allow each
senator TO appoint 10 or more
boys from home tby democratic
examination methods only TO
these free schools of military
training.
II l know the American
youth. there would still be
waiting line for both schools.
and many boys earlier would
select high school subjects
which would prepare them for
such schools.
Offer the subjects in the
high schools which viii enable
such preparation 10 those who
are inclined toward engineering.
aviation. mechanics. You can
even have a reserve officers
training corps. IN the schools,
under an army officer. But do
this in the democratic way.
nON'T force all youths into
~ these ventures. In addition
10 being un-American, it is I'M
wise. Those who wish TO 60 into
such lines will desire 10 make
the best Of their opportunity
for a free education.
The same education Will he
wasted on the others who do
not want IT, lIerding these in
by compulSion would merely
give YOU a bad army, numbers,
not effectiveness.
If YOU want camps for mill