The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-07-13
The
TOWN
REPORTER
In
Washington :
Waller SIX :Is| WIN! Cor. ,!lllls,l :
Compulsory Military Training
WNU Washington Bureau
621 Union Trust Building.

l
time compulsory military training.
What we do In this respect will af-
feet almost every home in the
hometowns and rural communities
I of the nation.
Since June 4 when hearings
started, the House Committee on
Postwar Military Policy has listened
to ream upon ream of testimony
for and against this question, and,
OF course, there are arguments,
good ones, on both sides of the mat
ter.
On the one side, for compulsory
military training, we find our mill
tary leaders, Generals Eisenhower,
Macarthur, Marshall, Patton and
many others, Admirals King, MINI
itz and others. The departments Of
state, war and navy, President Tru-
man and the late President Roose-
welt, the American Legion and Vet
Grams of Foreign Wars, plus the ma
tional polls which indicate from go
to more than 70 per cent of the peo-
pie are in favor of this compulsory
training.
On the other side of the fence, we
find arrayed labor organizations,
farm organizations, educational and
church organizations, various peace
groups and many other pressure
groups, plus many outstanding indi-
viduals, such as former Secretary
of the Navy Josephus Daniels
all opposed to the idea.
Some of these organizations are
prompted by selfish motives, others
from a sincere and honest standpoint,
point to compulsory CONSUMPTION
in other nations as leading to inn
perialism and war, such as in
France and Germany. Educators,
for instance, fear that if there is
hiatus of one year when boy
reaches IS and graduates from high
school, it may interfere with his en-
tering college. Farm leaders fear
loss of 18-year-olds from the farms
during planting and harvest sea-
sons will hurt agricultural produc-
ton. Labor leaders fear military
training may breed antagonism and
distrust of labor unions. Others de-
clare that blind obedience such as
is required in military discipline is
un-American and contrary to the
American spirit of independence.
Argument Doesn't Apply
The argument pointing to the re-
suits of compulsory CONSUMPTION in
peacetime in France and Germany,
according to many sources here, do
not hold water for the reason that
in those countries compulsory con-
scription encompasSed military
service and men are subject to call
for military service at any time.
Bills now before the committee do
not contemplate so broad pro-
gram of compulsion. For instance
the May bill would provide that ev-
cry young man attaining the age Of
Is, or within four years thereafter,
be subject to military or naval
training, induction into the army or
navy for this purpose for one year.
After completion Of the year, he Is
demobilized and enrolled as a re-
servist for period of six years, but
he cannot be subject to compulsory
military service during that period
or afterwards, except upon declara-
ton Of national emergency by the
congress.
1t seems to your Hometown
Reporter that the very name of
the committee conducting these
hearings is an answer to the
question at least for the imme-
diate future - the House Com
mittee ON Postwar Military Poll
cy. What is our postwar mill
airy policy? How would COM
puls0ry military training fit
into that policy?
It would seem that we must
first know just what that policy
is, what it contemplates, before
determining that every young
man must have this military
plate maintaining huge stand
ing army to man military bases
throughout the world? viii our
armies of occupation be Of suf-
ficient size to constitute compul-
sorry CONSUMPTION as q neces-
sity?
There is little doubt but that
our peacetime standing army must
be larger than heretofore, and that
we must maintain large two-ocean
navy for security purposes. But will
not volunteer enlistments do the
Job? What about ROTC units in the
colleges, universities and high
schools and the Citizen Military
Training camps? Could these enter
prises be enlarged and expanded.
It may be that the answers to all
these questions will be obtained by
the house committee in the hearings
on the CONSUMPTION bills, but If not,
then they are getting the cart be-
fore the horse. At any rate, since
any policy adopted by the congress
is determined by the individual
thinking of the people Of the ma