Evening star., 1945-10-31
Letters to The Star
Former CCC Selector Explains
Why He Favors Traininf

why lie FaVors raining
To the Editor Of The star:
In the current discussion Of the pro-
posal for compulsory military training,
some good citizens oppose the idea by
advancing the argument that the period
of training would be an interruption"
Of education-which 1t could be. of
course, If the military training were
badly designed and directed. But train
ing carefully prepared as permanent
program would lose much of the futile
character Of the familiar hasty training
and indoctrination, twice resorted to by
this country in order to prepare group
Of men for early shipment overseas dur
ing war.
In time Of peace, even at the minimum
level. 1t would be more likely to develop
the characteristics Of an advanced boys
camp. At the highest level, it easily
could approach the value of West Point
or Annapolis training. Certainly, train
ing designed for modern warfare would
have in 1t much study Of engineering
civil and automotive; of electronics,
chemistry. mathematics, navigation,
meteorology and other scientific and
practical subjects. Any one who con-
siders such studies an interruption to
education cannot be thinking of the
content of education but Of the social,
recreational and athletic factors of the
usual college performance.
CCC Camp Experience.
AS a State relief worker. it was my
task to select for the CCC camps the
first thousand boys sent to those camps
from the State of Ohio. With the best
effort in the world to select good candi-
dates we had to send, as a norm, an un-
promising lot of young men. undisci-
pinned, mischievous, undernourished
wholly contemptuous of any kind of
authority. Later contact, however, with
some of these men convinced me that
they had much better qualities latent
in them. Discipline and regular hours
and food built them out physically and
improved their general character and
Enthusiastically after the first three
months.
1t Is my personal conviction that COM
pulsory military training would supply
an element Of discipline and education
sadly needed in American life, because
1t would supply corrective to many Of
the conditions which harm the char
acters Of youngsters at the point of
escaping parental discipline. If con-
cededly 1t should also prove a disad-
vantage to small proportion of indi-
viouals Of special talent, it seems likely
that a reasonable administration OF
compulsory training would include some
hexibility for such exceptions.
Let 1t be acknowledged that none of
the foregoing discussion touches, nor
should we expect it to deal with, such
related questions as whether there
ought to be warfare and training for
war. There, Of course. are legitimate
issues on that side of the question, but
they lie rather in the field of politics or
diplomacy. Even though it should
happen, fortunately. that the proposed
training never would be needed for
battle, it still would be my contention
that such training would have an in
vigorating effect upon the characters Of
our young citizens. 1t might even
strengthen the general sense of civic
responsibility, without which democracy
is mere theory.
For those opponents who fear COM
| pulsory training as regimentation fol-
war and as being destructive of moral
values, let me ask whether they are not
too much influenced by the fact that the
proposal is urged at the end of a horrid
conflict and by military leaders whose
trade is war. The proper answer te
those legitimate reactions is that such
training should not be intrusted solely
to military educators. It should bs
guided, If not actually controlled, by
civilian educators who would consider
the bearing of compulsory training upon
all the duties and demands of commu.
| nifty life. BOYD FISHER.
Readers Support Mr.. Lawrence
| To ths Editor Of The Star:
As I understand David Lawrence,
| statements regarding the very old ple,