Milford chronicle., 1945-11-02
Here l. \ Rig Issue


case for universal military train
ing. the President has very clearly
stated the question in all of its
phases Nh Truman madc no effort
10 Get tn" Congress together. hut he
went up to capitol Hill. and came
ont tlatly ion the military system
that General Marshall had recon-
mendCd
Under our American system the
Army and Navy has maintained le-
wells of soldiers and sailors ncCcS-
aary for shore patrol. roIicin2. etc.
Even after World War the United
states took the position that it did
not need a large Army or Navy ON
ly a few years ago the country was
agitatcd hy discussions over de
tense and armament" versus
"pca1ctimc policies"
Now the President argues very
COnvinCingly that the basic reason
for universal military training is a
very simple one to guarantee the
safety and freedom of the United
States AGAINST any potential acrcs-
uCcs not propose anything that
may be called Transcription" He
says "cunscription" is compulsory
service in The Army or Navy in
time OF peace or war He rccom-
mcud To tpu@rp~S the pa@@a@' ~
sGi@iatluu setting up ualnln-
system. not particularly IN dllii
lut mainly in use of all the instru-
mcnts and weapons of modern War-
fare According to the President
this one year of military training
for all men between is and 81
would he devoted to proVidinG in an
emergency the only kind OF
strength an aGrCSSOr can under
! stand military power" He argued
moro torcihly and clearly than he
has for any cause since he came
in office. that the need exists tol
preparedness against any futur'
attack upon our country. and he
told Congress that that need must
he met today"
II is only few years ago thai
75Cc to 90cc of the entire p0pula-
tiOn of the United States was dc
mandinG that our country he KEEP
out of the t0rcicn wars. and lo
of people who honestly argued tC
maintain that position are still
branded as "paCifists
But the World changed il,
opinions overnight. and the Com
munist government of Russia he
came our military ally. while .Iaral
whom we had furnished scrap iron
, became Our deadly enemy.
No Magic Wage Formula
There was no magic formula a.
SoCiatod with the suggestion of {
t.. Wilson. president OF Genera
Motors. the other day in DctrOi
: when he told Gathering of ncws
paper writer's and commentator
| his idea of how this nation COul
hcstt Get along in the immcdat
postwar years.
Mr.. Wilson merely observed tina
everyone concerned will Gain i
= ratio to the amount of work he
| prepared To do, that a return I
, the 45-hour basic week couple
with moderate waGc incrcas
= might he a solution. and that h
/ didn't see how industry could al
@ tain production to meet the desire
q wage increases without getting til
aid that would come from addition
Il al labor efforts.
Higher productivity per worke
must go with higher wages. he sal,
unless prices of products also Al
S increased. which will be mcrcl
= another curve upward ON the il
flationary spiral.
Leaders of labor, as Mr.. Wilso
: predicted in his interview.
! once viewed with alarm" and Sa
y as "cnuntcr-prOp0sal" what Il
:. GM executive had taken pains
: present only as his thinking ON
:. way the present Wagc-prOductioI
J. pricing problems might be met I
< W&S plain in making clear that !
; did not anticipat" an enthusiast
reaction from Government. an
pointed ont that such adiustmor
c was not even possible under pre-
# Ont national labor laws.
- one phase of the entire pictu
seems agreed upon. however. Fl
lc better living the nation needs mo
S. production. 1t is hard to see he
al this can be attained by workiI
:. less. Industry has not had a,
u chance TO Judge possible aids
$ technol0giCal improvements nor
i likely to he able to do so in +
n Immediate emergency period mr.
- posed by Mr. Wilson. The war W
AZ won, in some part. through SUI
IN advances. but it was won bv
c. of hard work. too. all along +
O line, and sometimes hard work +
= the job when technology was a
behind.