davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-08-29
DemobiIizinq the Navy

A fortnight ago the ofncial lndl-
cations were that the pace of the
Navy's demobilization would be con-
siderably slower than that of the
Army, fact that stirred up vigor-
Gus criticism in many quarters, par
ticularly on the ground that the
point system to be used for dis
charges was unfair. Today, however,
the picture is markedly changed.
Within the next twelve months, ac-
cording to Secretary Forrestal. ap-
proximately 2.830,000 officers and
enlisted men are to be released from
service. reducing our naval person.
mel almost to peacetime level.
The speedup will be made by
granting credits for overseas service
and by liberalizing the point system
in general. AS result, year from
now, the Navy's present strength of
3,380,000 will be cut down to $4,000
officers and 100000 enlisted men.
In 1899, in round numbers, our total
naval personnel numbered only 1885,
900. the figure rising steadily until
it had reached $4,000 by the time
the japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
After that there began the tremen-
dous expansion which has made
American seapower mightier by far
than the seapower of all other coun-
tries combined.
Today, with the war ended and
peace reigning over all the oceans
and seas of the world, the mainte-
nance of such huge naval estab-
lishment obviously is no longer nee
essary. In addition to a drastic re-
duction in manpower, there must
also be drastic reduction in the
operation of our great feet of 1900
warships, About 800 of these are
expected to be placed in the mac
tive reserve. the balance being kept
active by the $4,000 officers and
men remaining in service after the
demobilization program is COM
pleted. These figures, however, are
not likely to be final Within the
next two years or so, after the inter-
national situation grows clearer and
more settled. there probably will be
a further cut. possibly leaving the
Navy with a peacetime personnel
strength comparable to that in serv-
ice in December. 1e41.
Meanwhile. to maintain the $780,
600 total. the Navy will have to
launch recruitment programs and
offer special inducements to reserve
officers to make career of the
service. Moreover, in the longer
view. there will have to be a re-
examination of the function and
organization of fleets il the light
of the revolutionary implications of
the atomic bomb. radar, guided
transoceanic rockets and similar
nightmare devices that make obso-
lete virtually all past concepts of
warfare. Whatever naval readjust-
ments may be found necessary, how
ever, there will always be one rule
OF thumb for America to adhere
to-namely, that at sea, no less than
on land and in the air, our ma
tional security must never again be
neglected.
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Futile Compromise

1t has been reported that Secre-
tary of Labor SchWellenbach and
the War Labor Board have composed
their differences over procedures for
handling labor disputes during the
reconversion period. Actually, how
ever, it would appear that this COM
promise amounts to little or nothing.
For all practical purposes, the
Government, while proposing to
continue price and certain other
controls under its wartime powers,
has abandoned its effort to regulate
labor disputes. And it was in defer
ence to this state of affairs that the
WLB recently announced its inten-
ton to take jurisdiction only of
those labor disputes in which the
parties agreed to be bound by its
findings, leaving the other contro-
versles to the good Offices of the
Labor Departments Cancellation
Service.
This was not satisfactory to the
Secretary of Labor. AS he read
President Truman's recent stabiliza-
ton order, Mr.. Schwellenbach said,
he was required to certify to the
board all cases in which, in his opin-
ion, the dispute might interrupt
work contributing to the production
of military supplies or interfere with
effective transition to a peacetime
economy" In other words, under
the language of the Presidents Or
der, the responsibility rested with
the board, not with the conciliation
service, and Mr.. Schwellenbach was
not prepared to become a party to
any other arrangement. The result
has been a compromise which boils
down to an agreement to refer cases
coming within the executive order
to the board, with the understand
ing that WLB reserves the right to
operate on a case-to-case basis,
which means, presumably, that
cases in which the board anticipates
defiance will not be decided.
The practical effect of this almost
certainly is to abandon any pre-
tense of settling labor disputes in
which one or both parties are not
disposed to accept the boards find
ings. The wartime no-strike pledge
has been extensively revoked, and
the board has said that sit would
be unWise to attempt to administer
a program based on sanctions which
no longer exist" Thus, while Mr..
Schwellenbach's position is sup
ported by the language of the Presi-
dents order, the realities of the
matter are on the side of the board.
Labor disputes cannot be settled by
decree if the Government is either
unwilling or unable to impose sane
tioas and make them stick.
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Roads End for the 'Tioer'

AT any moment now, assuming he
does not commit hara kari General
Tomoyuki Yamashita will be a pris-
oner in our hands. After long weeks
OF bloody and futile resistance in
the fiercely rugged mountains of
Northern Luzon-a resistance which
IN July alone cost the lives of we'll
over $4,000 japanese soldiers-he
has decided that the time has come
at last to surrender to our Philip
pine forces, or at least to open nego-
tiations to that end.
This must be particularly bitter
hour for him, and one which must
make him worry bit about retribu-
tive justice. 1t must be bitter be-
cause this was the man who con-
quered Malaga and humbled the
British at Singapore. And it must
be worrisome because he it was who
went to Bataan after the japanese
campaign had begged down there
early in 1912; he it was who wrested
Corregidor from our gallant but sick
and overwhelmingly outnumbered
American and Filipino forces; and
he it was, apparently, who was in
command when those same forces
were prodded and whipped on their
agonizing death march" If Yama-
shita negotiates now. the chances
are he negotiates in an effort to
save himself from trial as war
criminal, and the chances are also
that the effort will fail.
In the days of his glory, when the
japanese were winning everywhere
against our ill-prepared Allied de-
fenses and when he seemed one of
the most formidable of the enemy
commanders, Yamashita loved to
strut, loved the adulation of his
countrymen. loved to be called the
"Tiger"-an apt nickname in view
of his ruthlessness and the callously
lavish way in which he expended
the lives OF his own troops. And
even after our power in the Pacific
became immense. he still liked to
put on a bold show. Thus, in No
vember, 1914, after he had been
made chief of all japanese forces
in the Philippines and after we had
landed on Leyte, he declared he
would defeat and say to Macarthur
what he once said to the British
at Singapore-order him to surren-
der Internationally, with these
words: "All I want to hear from
you is yes or no." And when we
took Leyte from him, he brushed 1t
aside as matter of no consequence,
and then when We landed on Luzon
itself, he let it be known that that
was Just the thing he wanted US to
Evening star., 1945-08-29

neck and then loosened you don't for
get the startling moment when the
moose unexpectedly appeared Nor do
We know whether the abrupt termina-
ton OF lease-lend was merely inadroit
politics, or whether there was more in
IL than meets the eye. The British will
oe asking themselves questions, even if
they don't debate them in the House
Of Commons. Many issues are pending
and unsettled-for instance the status
Of Hong Kong Also there is the Amer
ican attitude toward the labor govern
ment. There is trend in certain circles
to embarrass it. 1t is in a certain dip
lomatlc tradition to take high-handed
attitude on one question in order to win
concessions in another But it is no
way to win friends and influence people.
- And however strong we are, let us
never make the mistake of believing that
we shall not need friends in this world.
The abrupt cancellation of lease-lend
hits France, too. France, in economic
and colonial questions, is more dependent
on us than Britain. Gen. de Gaulle
faces stern domestic situation. It is
In his interest and ours that We should
be able to alleviate internal difficulties
before the French elections. But how
Is he received. BY an unprecedented
rebuke to the French press, not only
directly, but to Gen. de Gaulle himself
l make no apologies for the French
press. l have criticized it myself and in
France, to French journalists. But that
Is the job of journalists and not the
job of our President,
No ilTeparable damage has been done,
but we should halt highhandedness.
Breton Woods and the San Francisco
Charter are only abstract documents.
What counts in relation between coun-
tries are relations. Let us remember
that the strongest country can mobilize
the world against it and then it is no
longer strong at ALL even with the
atomic bomb-which, incidentally, we
got through agreement with Britain
and which will not remain a monopoly
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Congress and the Draft
By Maj. George Fieldinp Eliot.

'e'Nfpx LbOts
is in great part intact and unbeaten.
No man can be bold enough to prophesy
how long this will take, or what NAV
happen during the course of this op-
Grafton. The major part of this burden
has been assumed by the United States.
as far as the Japanese homeland is con-
cerned; we must also consider the need
for taking over numerous Pacific is
lands now occupied by Japanese forces,
together with Formosa.
Third, We have assumed certain def
mite responsibilities in the matter of
providing forces to deal with threats to
the general peace and security of the
United Nations as whole; and we can
not say where or when we may be
called upon to discharge those respon-
sibilities. The shape of the future world
Is by no means yet apparent to us; we
are passing through period of change
and uncertainty, and if Americas views
are to have commanding part in deter
mining the shape of the future we must
recognize that they must be supported
by adequate armed power; for that is a
demonstrated fact of life in a world of
sovereign states, deplore it as we may.
y X ~
Under these conditions, we cannot for
the present afford to depend on the un-
certainties OF the voluntary system for
the raising of the necessary armed
forces. We will and should use volun-
teerS as far as these are obtainable:
but We are in no position to be sure
that we can get enough Chairman May
OF the House Military Affairs Commit
tee suggests moratorium" on the
draft for a period of three months, in
order that We may see In what numbers
volunteers can be obtained But it would
surely be far more difficult to put the
draft back IN operation after such a
moratorium" than it would to keep it
going now, and perhaps relax it later
II experience proves that volunteers
come In sufficient numbers Moreover,
this is the part Of prudence, for it makes
us safe against the unforeseen in the
meanwhile
The war is not over; the enemy
has been defeated, but he has not been
rendered harmless. The foundations
OF peace are being laid, but the task
Is far from completed. It will take a
little more effort, little more sacrifice
such q very little more, In compare
son to the frightful cost Of having it
all to do over again If we fail to COM
plete 1t now.
(coegrisht 1s4Sl
Evening star., 1945-08-29
The Miqhty Mo-

The men who work in her refer
to the battleship Missouri as THE
Mighty Mo-" Just how the sobriquet
got started nobody knows, but that
1t is apt will be conceded when it is
remembered that she has a dis
placement of $4,000 tons when fully
loaded, is 300 feet long and 108 feet
wide, has a draught of 36 feet, car
ries nine 16-inch guns and 20 5-inch
guns, and is dressed in the stoutest
armor with which naval science is
acquainted. The vessel was launched
January %, 1914, with Miss Mar
garet Truman as her sponsor.
Chosen Admiral Halsey's flagship,
she joined her sister craft, the Wis
consin and the New Jersey, in the
bombardment of Okinawa. A kami-
kaze plane smashed into her star
board quarter on April II and al
most literally bounced off in frag-
ments.
Of course, there have been other
Missouris in the United States Navy.
The first steam warship ever to
cross the Atlantic bore the name.
Her machinery was designed by
Charles w. Copeland, famous en-
gineer, and was supervised in build
ing by Charles Haynes Haswell,
equally celebrated The date of her
construction was 1889. Intended
for the home squadron, she was
commanded for while by Alexan-
der Slidell Mackenzie. An exhibi-
ton cruise in European waters was
the crafts undoing. She burned in
the harbor at Gibraltar, August 26,
1843.
Another Missouri had her ma
chinery designed by Alfred Bruce
Canaga, still remembered as Pop,
and her commanders included Will
liam S. Benson in 1910, and James
Joseph Raby in 1918. Her period of
service thus covered the duration of
the First World War. She was
scrapped under the terms of the
Washington disarmament treaty in
1922. ......
The present fighting vessel named
for the Presidents State probably
could swallow" both of her prede-
cessors. Blueprints for her required
no less than ITS tons of paper. The
electric plant in her would supply
all the power needs of city the
size of Santa Fe. When she was
launched The Star prophetically re-
ferred to her as mo impersonal hulk
Evening star., 1945-08-29

1t is most earnestly to be hoped that
members OF Congress will not permit
themselves to be influenced by hasty
fluence people. as they approach their
immediate and pressing responsibilities
regarding the Selective Service Act.
Off hand, it may seem to these gentle
men-as certain of their public utter
ances suggest-that votes are to be won
by discontinuing the draft as quickly as
possible. But they should remember
that though hasty check of their con-
stituencies now may show considerable
public sentiment for such move, the
next congressional election will not be
held until November, 1916. BY that time,
if Selective service is cut off now, the
consequences Of that rash act will be
painfully apparent, and the voters will
have had time to place the responsibility
where it belongs.
1t is possible that there is no need for
concern about congressional action in
this respect President Truman's force
full simply -worded message on the sub
ject should be sufficient to carry convic-
ton to almost every Senator and Rep
resentative. Yet the reception of this
message indicated a certain amount of
opposition, which we must hope that
sober reflection will remove. If not, the
results will be unpleasant at best, and
possibly disastrous.
Consider the responsibilities which
the armed forces of this country must
meet in the immediate postwar period
which now lies ahead OF us.
First, we must continue to provide an
army of occupation for those parts of
Germany and Austria for which we
have assumed responsibility. 1t is not
yet safe by any means to reduce this
army to the status of q mere police
force. We have not even, with our Allies,
determined as yet the conditions of
German disarmament, much less car
ried them out Nor can we shrug aside
the responsibility which, with our Al
lies, we have assumed for the mainte-
nance of order in other parts of
Europe, where conditions during the
coming winter may we'll be chaotic, and
where the welfare and the very lives of
millions of suffering people may depend
on outside assistance.
Second, we are presently engaged in
the occupation of the Empire of Japan,
under conditions without precedent in
history. We are to occupy and disarm
q great military state with IN army Of
strong. even fanatical traditions which
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Reason to Be Thankful
By Dapid Laurence
From Montreal lie Canada.

from montreal lie canada.
Twenty-six years ago the United
States Senate could not get together
the two-thirds majority necessary so
that the United States could participate
in the work of the League of Nations.
Six votes necessary to the Wilson idea
were lacking for its final ratification.
Times have greatly changed On July
28, SO of the 81 members of the
American Senate voted in favor of the
active participation of the United States
in the engagements of the security
Charter and so gave to the civilized
world irrefutable proof of American
good will to effective contribution to the
maintenance of peace. We fully expect
ed that the Security Charter would be
accepted by our neighbors, but, even in
the most optimistic circles, no one fore
saw this quasi-unanimity Canada must
be especially thankful, here where de-
cisions in American foreign policy have
more immediate consequences than else
where because of our proximity to the
United States and our very close eco
nomic relations With them.
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Speedier TriuIs

The steps taken by Chief Justice
Bolitha Laws to speed up the trial
of District Court criminal cases,
which have Jagged during the sum-
mer recess, should contribute to
better law enforcement in the Cap
ital City.
At present the criminal docket
is some 400 cases in arrears, and this
number may be increased when the
court opens in October This con-
dition is not uncommon during the
summer months, since the grand
jury continues to return indictments
although during the recess there Is
but one criminal court in session
as against three during the regular
court term. 1t is a situation which
calls for supervision and planning,
however, unless the trial courts are
to be swamped at the opening of the
new term.
In an effort to avoid this unde-
sirable condition, the Chief Justice
called meeting Monday of lawyers
representing defendants and men,
bers of the staff of the United States
Attorney, the purpose being to set
all pending cases for trial and to
eliminate, as far as possible, all
future requests for continuances.
This session resulted, incidentally,
In dozen or more pleas of guilty,
which disposed of those cases, and
the discovery that in an equal num-
ber of other cases the defendants
had not yet secured counsel. This
condition will be remedied, and it
is planned that the Chief Justice and
Justices Pine and Proctor, who will
sit with him in the Criminal Courts
this fall, will meet every ten days to
review the criminal calendar and
smooth out the flow of cases sched-
uled for trial.
With the expected cooperation
from counsel for defendants and the
prosecutors office, this should result
in current criminal docket. And
that is eminently to be desired, since
experience has shown that there Is
no greater deterrent to crime than
the combination of efficient police
work, prompt trials, vigorous prose-
cution and certain punishment.
Does any one remember the quaint
nomenclature of World War I, when
U-237 was a submarine and not an
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Nocturne

The late moon is reflected perfectly in
the fountain basin,
For at this hour the silper trickle of
the fountain is still,
And through cypress trees and the
silence OF summer night
Drifts the iquidly plaintive cry ot q
tohippooraUiu
Repeated, but slo,Dly, spaced by cryp-
tic islands OF silence,
Either distant or near, lifts the clear
haunting call,
Through the moon-siluered mist of
gray pendant Spanish moss.
Through the quiet matted gardens
where no echoes fall.
Crying into the silence that mirrors
its crying,
Ceasing and calling again against
the hour groipn late,
Uncertain, tentative. then clear, near:
near or distant,
1t sings to the silence as to an in.
Uistbls mate.
FREDERICK EBRIGHT.
Evening star., 1945-08-29

OF iron and Steel" and added: "To
the men who sail her and to the
men who built her the Missouri will
be . living thing-very real and
very much alive" The japanese
likewise are to And her "alive," but
not the Japs only. 1t is as much
settled as any fact can be that the
whole world will remember 1.-THE
Mighty Mo" as the symbol OF the
militant wrath OF free America.
Evening star., 1945-08-29

do and that now he would lure us
into his embrace and annihilate us.
Today the Tiger" has lost all
his teeth and all his reputation. He
could talk big and strut proudly
in the days when the odds were
overwhelmingly In his favor, but
that time is long since gone and his
"face" Is gone with 1T. Probably the
only thing remaining for him now,
short Of the traditional Japanese
exit by suicide, is the humiliation
OF a war criminals trial So passes
the glory OF Bushido.
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Pearl Harbor Criminals

To the Editor of The STAR
In all the clamor that has been going
on relative to bringing war criminals
to justice, virtually nothing has been
or is being said about bringing to justice
those Japanese who were responsible
for the attack on Pearl Harbor. And
yet, if ever there was war crime COM
mitted against America. 1t certainly was
that treacherous act.
Why not entirely clean up the Pearl
Harbor matter by not only determining
those responsible for the nonalertness
there, but by bringing to America and
publicly trying the Japanese who PLAN
ned and directed the attack
j. ]. 6PERRY.
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Has the Army Such Plans?

"S shS Amy ouNIl lhHS
To the Editor OF The Star:
My two sons have been in the Army
more than two years. One holds the
Bronze Star and the other the Purple
Heart. Both were under fire some seven
or eight months in Germany, but since
they have no children they are low
point men. One is 90 the other %. One
has had high school only while the other
has had over year of college. Both
need to be back in school. Does the
Army have any plans for the, release
OF such men or can they look forward
to growing old in the service of their
country? If they remain in the Army
two or three more years, how manv of
them will be willing to 60 back to
school?
Is our understandable concern for the
education OF those who are just now
reaching lS going to keep boys like
mine from going back to school? This
Is serious question and should have
an answer?
l understand the Army plans to re-
duce its monthly draft quota from So
600 to 10000 and it is assuring the new
men they will only have to serve two
years. Why not continue to draft So
600, or even more, per month and thus
the sooner release men who have al
ready served two years, part of it in
actual combat?
Perhaps the Army has plans for the
release of these men who were taken
out of school two or three years ago.
If so. I think the boys and their parents
deserve to be told. II the Army has no
such plans, 1t is time they were made.
Let us not so quickly forget these
sons Of ours who have been made to
pass through the fire." Those who
are interested should do something
about 1t. w. M. LYNN.
Evening star., 1945-08-29
Letters to The Star
Sees the New Era's Challenge
As Obligation To Meet

To the Editor Of The Star:
There Is certain sense OF satisfac-
ton in working for the United States
Government. There always will be dull
routine procedure that never can be
changed. No one expects 1t to be
changed. But because some things
always have been done a certain way,
must they continue to be done that way?
Perhaps there is better, more efficient
method that would achieve the same
results.
Yet some people are afraid, actually
afraid, to offer constructive ideas. Some
prefer to let well enough alone. That's
the way 1t always has been done" Some
are too lazy, mentally, to exert them
selves. Some are fearful of criticism by
their superiors. e,
In the postwar period, it would be
wonderful If new standards could be
set up in Government seryice-stan-
dards not measured by Civil Service,
annual ratings. promotions. etc, but
something alive, full of power, energy
and force for the new era in which
We shall live.
There will be a challenge in this new
era. 1t should be the obligation of each
person to offer all he possesses in the
acceptance of that challenge.
GEORGIA A. McMEEKIN.
Evening star., 1945-08-29

Does any one remember the quaint
nomenclature of World War I, when
U-237 was a submarine and not an
atom?