Evening star., 1945-11-15
Gen. Eisenhower's Testimony

| |Gen. EisenhoW
The tert OF Gen. Eisenhower's
prepared testimony today before
the House Military Affairs Conn
Drtttee tollotos:
Gentlemen, in the interests of
conciseness I have prepared brief
statement which I will read; then,
I would like to make a few extem-
poraneous remarks. After that, I
will be glad to answer any questions.
understand that the official views
and detailed plans of the War De-
partment are being presented to
you by others. I hope you will
allow me to speak. not as repre-
sentative of the War Department
but as citizen and as a profess
Sional soldier to whom has been
given peculiar opportunity to par
ticipate in the greatest effort ever
made by our citizen-soldiery. My
personal views are largely based on
that unique experience
Teamwork Won Victory.
The men who won the victories
of Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and
Germany were able to do so solely
because of their individual and unit
training-their ability to work as
team. The long periods spent in
training camps in the United States
and in England were essential to
the perfection of this teamwork.
Thereafter, brief battle hardening,
and our teams were superb! Ger
tain phases of this training are
highly technical. involving radar,
signal communications, air opera
tions. construction, transportation
and ordnance. All this work is in
terdependent, and each part is vital
to success. All of it was minutely
geared to an equally complex sehed-
ule of tactical ground force move
ments which required perfect unit
training and above all-tining.
Time has always been of the es-
sence in warfare, but never was it
more essential than in our most re-
cent war. With the introduction of
atomic and electronic warfare and
the astounding advances being
made almost hourly in aerial war
fare, the tempo is increasing in geo.
metric progression. If war comes to
us again the fact seems inescapable
| that We will not have time to train
units before we are faced with the
final issue of defeat or victory. Ger
tainly it would be unconscionable to
gamble on a fortuitous recurrence
OF the time to prepare, bought by
the blood of our Allies in 1917 and
in 1912. We must be prepared on
M day-the day the enemy strikes
Or we may never be prepared to
avert defeat at the hands of any
aggresSor who uses against us the
weapons of the future.
Urges Early Training.
Our weapons must be better than
theirs on that day, our resources
must be promptly available, and
above all, our manpower must have
already been trained. This train
ing must be given in time of peace
Without standing army of pro-
hibitive size this can be accom-
plished by training our civilian re-
serve, our citizen army. The most
democratic way to do this Is by
universal military training, in which
every able bodied young man is fit
| ted to discharge his duty to protect
our freedom. This has been the
ultimate solution in every major
military crisis this country has
faced. The only difference now, and
the great lesson of World War II,
is that it must be done before not
after the first shot is fired.
understand that to be the issue
before this committee. Although
know the general plans, have not
had time to familiarize myself with
all the working details of the War
Departments plan for universal
military training, nor am I familiar
with the testimony already presented
to this committee. However, I am
familiar with the Presidents mes
sage and with the Woodrum Com
mittee report. I cannot state too
emphatically my concurrence with
the recommendations contained in
those documents On the basis of
my obligation to the 5000, 900 Amer
leans that served under me in
Europe, I strongly urge their early
adoption. Upon the expiration OF
selective service we should be pre-
pared to commence the training OF
young men who did not form part
/ of the armed forces In this war.
Although the veterans of this war
constitute at this. moment splen-
didly trained reserve we must keep i.
constantly and currently reinforced
by younger increments trained In
all the most advanced techniques
which research and development
in the technology of warfare are
bringing forth at such q rapid rate.
We must train them to avert World
War III, not refight World War II.
Points to New Techniques.
I believe that every combat leader
IN our armed forces agrees that sue
cess is possible only when the mass
of the Army is composed Of the
younger men. They are more readily
adaptable to combat conditions and
possess more yigor and dash. Ger
tainly, the. technical services must
comprehend q high proportion Of
younger men who are capable Of
mastering the radically new tech
3niques OF future warfare. Therefore,
tit Is matter of necessity as well as
fairness to add increments Of cur
Irently trained young men to the
civilian reserve. The alternatives
lafe the criminal sacrifice of ur1-
trained young men. OF calling on