The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-01-12
News "a,
BEHIND,
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Released by western Newspaper Union.
MUST BE A MILITARY,
NOT A MILITARISTIC NATION
ByRULMALLoN

n WktSf1lNG1ON.-A SLrOng, genera
ally thoughtful editorial writer who
is against the Roosevelt, particular
ly Mrs. Roosevelt, regime spoke out
in several metropolitan papers re-
Gently (Note, I think the radicals
called him fascist-rninded during the
last campaign although the charge
was of a political nature and there
fore not intended to be believed lit
erally):
"There Is only one way to as
sure ourselves of military
strength, whenever needed. That
way consists Of system Of COM
pulsory military training"
That is simply not true. There
are many ways Of assuring our
selves of military strength, when
ever needed. A logical, straightfor-
ward way consists of putting mill
tary training into the high schools
and colleges to develop, and keep
trained, the necessary officer per-
sonnet, and charging and moderniz-
ing the national guard, giving it
weapons, including airplanes and
tanks, artillery, ammunition and
commissary to develop a private
personnel.
That would be the more efficient
way, because it would be constant,
always up-to-date, always ready to
handle the latest implements of war
fare scientifically and efficiently, al
though there are of course many
other things which must be done,
including the maintenance of a
greater permanent military inven-
tors council with laboratories, con-
tinuance of West Point and Annapo-
lis at war size or larger, and an
alert, ever watchful and efficient
war department to see that we do
not fall asleep to dangers from with
out.
These are democratic ways.
The taking of a boy from his
home, work and career for
year of service in the army is
a Prussian method instituted by
the Prussian militarists after
the war of 1870. 1t must be an
inefficient way Of developing an
army because the Prussians
have never won with it, nor has
it produced results i'm France
and some other nations which
took it up.
A RADICAL VIEWPOINT @
On the opposite side of the same
fence a radical editorial writer in
a metropolitan daily Il think he, is
the very one who called my above
friend "fascist-minded'' and certain
ly he thinks the Roosevelt regime,
and particularly the Mrs. Roosevelt
regime, is just about right on ev-
erything) wrote recently:
"The only way this country
can get away from maintain
ing a very large army and de-
vel0ping militaristic caste sys-
tenn after this war is by COM
pulsory military training"
Is this not the strangest collection
Of bedfellows upon any world mat
tress? Radicals, conservatives, peo-
pie who think each other fascists or
communists, Mr.. Roosevelt and the
chamber of commerce, PM and the
N. Y. Herald Tribune, Mrs. Roose-
welt and "the fascist minded" all
enjoying this same delusion-in-
sistently.
For there is no more truth in say
ing this is the only way to "avoid
a large army" than that it is the
only way to.maintain an army It
would be a large army of more than
million youths II to 81 years old,
new large army each year.
But it would hardly be what we
would call skilled army. We would
have to maintain another one for
older men for defense. We would
have to have an air force constantly
alert, corps bent on multiplying the
effect of rocket bombs, and what
other new weapons, daily, whole
war department of just as much
strength as if we did not have COM
pulsion in training.
These trainees would only be re-
serves-reserves that might other
wise be obtained more efficiently by
real national guard. AS a friend
of mine puts it:
eve must be military, but
not militaristic nation" and
we need national guard which
literally must be ga guard Of
the nation"
But a great many other people
are saying daily in the papers a
year of national service would cure
Juvenile delinquency, promote youth
health, make better citizens. These
are all nonmilitary excuses for q
military step, which lacks sound mil
itary grounds.
This is a new element which has
entered into the private discussions
here. 1t will become important
only as developments from Europe
direct, and will simmer and die il
those developments become more
e