Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-11-16
Britain Seen Delaying
War Troininq Action
Officials Do Not Share Panic of
y. S. Military Men, Says Writer
By David Laurence

OASA0iS LIZ ANOt AlldI = dlllS Va
y. S. Military Men, Says Writer
BY David Laurence
Great Britain is postponing action on
the subject OF universal military train
ing. The British government is much
too busy on other matters to take the
subject up at this time. When the whole
question of national security is examined
in the light of the United Nations Or
ganization commitments, Great Britain
will deal with military training as
part of an overall national military pro-
gram.
The foregoing is an authoritative
statement of the position of Great Brit
ain as outlined by high source this
week.
What it means is that British on
Gals do not share the panic which has
seized American military men who are
demanding that the question of mill
tary training be acted on Immediately
by Congress even before the plans of
other nations to furnish manpower to
carry out United Nations Organization
commitments are known.
Urgency Not Shared.
There is no evidence either that Cana.
da or Australia or any other members
OF the British Empire have instituted
plans for universal military training
program of their youth, which would
indicate not only that the urgency
which is expressed in Washington is not
shared by other nations, but that Ameri-
can policy is presumably related to
an effort to use military force as an
instrument of immediate diplomacy
rather than as protection against
some would-be aggressor in the future.
Many members of Congress feel that
the United States should not be asked
to furnish all the manpower to support
the DEGREES Of the United Nations Or
ganization, but that all countries which
are members Of It should assume their
logical share Of the obligation The theory
of some military men that only by a
universal military training bill passed
now can other would-be aggressors be
adequately impressed Is not accepted by
any large number Of Senators or Rep
resentatives.
Public opinion, as recorded by the
Gallup Poll, appears to favor some form
Of military training, but the kind Of pro-
gram to be adopted or the timing of it
are matters on which 1t Is not believed
that public opinion has as yet crystal
| lized.
Certainly the resolution adopted by
the Catholic Bishops of the United
States at their annual general meeting
here this week indicates that there
are grave doubts felt by the Catholic
Church - doubts, indeed, shared by
many Protestant churchman, too-as
to how the military men have handled
the 18-year-olds and other youth on
the matter Of morals in the camps.
Need Recognized.
The Catholic bishops say:
I'VE recognize the imperative need
OF preparedness for the adequate de-
tense Of our country in all circum-
stances
In determining what constitutes ma.
| eASAAnA aSAOAk9S Al oA1 k1CoSht
stances, our Government, we feel, should
explore the possibility of having mill
| tary CONSUMPTION abolished in all coun-
tries, and, to that end, might well con-
slider how our control of economic as
| siStance to other countries may be used
to lend weight to our plea for such
abolition.
IF wide extension Of military train
ing is found necessary for present ade-
! quate defense of our Nation, we feel
that such training should be in keeping
with American traditions, and that,
specifically:
Il. Voluntary enlistments In the
armed forces should be stimulated as
much as possible, to provide our first
| line of defense;
20. Any period Of enforced training
should be integrated with normal school
life; and,
IS. The War and Navy Departments
should work with recognized moral
leadership to correct certain policies and
attitudes which have wrought grave
moral damage to great numbers Of
young people in the armed services
during the past five years"
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