Evening star., 1945-10-11
State Department Aim
Seen in War Report
Big Stick Philosophy Called
Discourasing by Observer
By Dapid Laurence

Dlscouraging by Observer
By Dapid Laurence
Gen. Marshall's report gives the first
intimation that the State Department
has become convinced that physical
might and military force must be the
real talking point In the relations be-
tween nations. -
The big stick" idea has long been a
matter Of debate. There are some who
feei That to possess large military
machine is deterrent to peace because
OF the temptation to use force to back
up diplomacys threats. There are
others who feel that wars are inevitable
and that 1t is hopeless to try to solve
disputes by any other means.
Gen. Marshalls comments on the way
World War II was won are Illuminating
and his report, on the whole, lis an ex-
celient narrative. 1t is only when he
comes to the subject of universal mill
tary training that differences of opinion
Will develop. He says in part:
The timing OF our decision on the
question OF universal military training
is urgent. The officials of the state De-
partment have been strongly of the
opinion that decision in this matter
prior to the final peace negotiation,
would greatly strengthen the hand Of
the United States in securing acceptance
OF a genuine organization to handle
international differences"
Discouraging PhiIosonbv
This is not new philosophy but it is
a discouraging one. After the most
horrible war in human history, appar-
entity the lessons in human relations
Wnlcn brought on the war have been
ignored and the assumptions being made
are those that take it for granted man
VIII never be able to settle disputes ex-
cept by what Lloyd George once called
organized savagery."
II the State Department has come IN
the conclusion that a large military
lorce Is necessary to coerce or persuade
or influence other nations to accent the
terms of peace settlement. then anv
system OF universal military training
would seem to be inadequate and the
need would seem to be for a large
standing army of professional soldiers.
Along with this concept might well be
read another portion of Gen. Marshalls
report. which points out that "the onlv
effective defense a nation can now
maintain is the power of attack"
This is but another way of saying that
the best defense is an offense. It also
is another way of indicating that the
age-old argument about security has
become realistically pertinent in a
world IN which nations do not even
break off diplomatic relations and then
declare war but do both only with the
firing of the first shot.
How then shall security be attainedp
Gen. Marshall feels that a force of
100000 men with training of one
year should always be available. But he
indicates clearly that he would have
boys stop after their high-school eradu-
alton and take a year in the Army
before going to college. This means a
serious impairment of the educational
cycle and possible loss to the country
OF many young men who otherwise
would get a college training.
College VS.. Army.
Unfortunately various War Depart.
ment officials, including Secretary Pat
terson, are prejudiced against the
college man for officer purposes and
feel 1T is not essential to develop officer
material out Of those who have proved
themselves by periodic examinations to
be able to earn a college degree.
The inSistence of various educators
that the military training program be
not allowed to interrupt the sequence
OF education has been criticized by some
War Department officials - not Gen.
Marshall - as extremely selfish or as
guloed by self-interest. This is coun-
tered, however, by the equally untenable
criticism that officers of the Army are
seinshiy interested in military train
Ing program so as to retain their rank
and give them more opportunities for
promotion. A simple solution would
be to permit boys to take the training
any time between II and %.
The military training program is es-
sentlal and so is a large Army, Navy
ana Air Force, but not as a means of
coercing other nations to accept our
peace terms. The case can rest better
on the needs of defense against
unknown enemies in a world where
democracy has not yet learned how to
cultivate or maintain friendship with
other nations and where selfishness
and materialiSm still 5on,;o,ta A..
diplomacy of democracies as well as
nondemocracies.
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