Evening star., 1945-10-23
Text of raining Message
Truman Asks Congress to Act Promptly;
His Program Provides No Exemptions

closer to membership in the armed
forces than If they had no training.
Special rules and regulations would
have to be adopted for their organ
izations, discipline and welfare.
Universal training is not intended
to take the place of the present
Selective Service System. The Sc
lective Service System is now being
used to furnish requirements in the
armed forces for veterans of this
war who are being discharged.
Only the Congress could ever draw
trainees under a universal training
program into the Army and Navy.
And If that time ever came these
trainees could be inducted only by
selective process, as they were in
Quoted for World War I and World
War II. The great difference be-
tween having universal training and
no training, however, is that, in
time of emergency, those who would
be selected for actual military service
would already have been basically
trained.
Margin of Survival.
That difference may be as much
as a years time. That difference
may be the margin between the sur
vival and the destruction of this
great Nation
The emphasis in the training of
our young men will not be on mere
drilling. 1t will be on the use of
all the instruments and weapons
of modern warfare. The training
will offer every qualified young man
chance to perfect himself for the
service of his country in some mill
tary speciality.
Under the plan which I propose
provisions should be made within
the armed services to help trainees
| improve their educational status
The year of universal training
should provide ample opportunity
for self-improvement. Some part
of the training could be used to de-
velop skills which would be usefu.
in future civilian life just as such
skills have been developed during
the present war.
| The period of training could well
be used to raise the physical stand.
ards of the Nations manpower, tc
lower its illiteracy rate, and to de.
velop in our young men the ideal;
OF responsible American citizenship
Medical examinations of the younf
trainees would do much toward re.
moving some of the minor disabili.
ties which caused the rejection OF
SO many men during this war by the
Selective Service System.
The moral and spiritual welfare
of our young people should be con.
sideration of prime Importance, and
of course, facilities for worship II
every faith would be available.
But the basic reason for universal
training is very simple one-to
guarantee the safety and freedom
of the United States against any
potential aggressor. The other bene-
| fits are all by-products-useful in
deed, but still by-products. The
fundamental need is, and always
will be, the national security of the
United States, and the safety of our
homes and our loved ones.
Since training alone is involved
and not actual military service, nc
exemptions should be allowed for
occupation, dependency, or for any
other reason except total physical
disqualification.
All Should Be Included.
All men should be included in
the training, whether physically
qualified for actual combat service
or not. There should be a place
into which every young American
can fit in the service of our coun.
try. Some would be trained fol
combat, others would be trained fol
whatever war service they are physi
cally and mentally qualified to per.
form
1 recommend that the training
should be for one year. Each yount
man should enter training eithel
at the age of Is or upon his gradu
alton from high school-whicheve
: is later; but in any event befor'
his goth birthday. A trainee VIII,
: completes his high school education
in his l7th year should be eligible
with parental consent, to enter tn
course of training.
After the first few months o
training, selected trainees who ar
: not physically qualified for militar
service could be trained in certain
l skills so that if war came they coul
: take their places in shipyards, mu
nitions factories and similar indus
trial plants.
Upon completion of the full year
training the trainee would become
!. member of the General Reserve fo
a period of six years. After that h
/ should be placed in a secondary re
serve status.
Present personnel in the Arm
S and Navy Reserves would, of cours'
4 be retained, and the new trainee
would provide the source from whic
l the Reserves of the future woul
: draw their personnel.
r Commissions would be granted [
qualified men who complete tn
t course of training and who the
+ take additional instruction in of
: ficer candidate schools, in the Re