Evening star., 1945-12-19

To the Congress of the United
States:
In my message of September 6
l945, I stated that I would COM
municate with the Congress from
time to time during the current
session with respect to a compre-
hensive and continuous program oi
national security. pointed out the
necessity of making timely prepara-
tion for the Nations long-range Sc
curity now-while we are still mind
full of what it has cost us in this
war to have been unprepared.
On October %, 1945, as part OF
that program, there was presented
for your consideration a proposal for
universal military training. 1t was
based upon the necessities of main-
tanning well-trained citizenry
which could be quickly mobilized in
time of need in support of a small
professional military establishment
Long and extensive hearings have
now been held by the Congress on
this recommendation. I think that
the proposal, in principle, has met
with the overwhelming approval of
the people of the United States.
We are diScharging our armed
forces now at the rate of l,500 900 a
month. We can with fairness no
longer look to the veterans of this
war for any future military service
It is essential therefore that uni
versal training be instituted at the
earliest possible moment to provide
4 reserve upon which we can draw
If. unhappily, it should become nee
essary. A grave responsibility will
rest upon the Congress If it con-
tinues to delay this most important
and urgent measure.
Merger Recommended.
Today, again in the interest of
national security and world peace, I
make this further recommendation
to you. recommend that the Con-
gress adopt legislation combining
the War and Navy Departments into
one single Department of National
Defense. Such unification is an
other essential step-along with uni
versal training-in the development
of a comprehensive and continuous
program for our future safety and
for the peace and security of the
world.
One of the lessons which have
most clearly come from the costly
and dangerous experience of this
war is that there must be unified
direction of land. sea and air forces
at home as well as in all other
parts of the world where our armed
forces are serving
We did not have that kind of di-
rection when we were attacked four
years ago-and we certainly paid a
high price for not having it.
In 1941, we had two completely
independent organizations with no
well-established habits of collabora-
tion and cooperation between them
II disputes arose, if there was failure
to agree on question of planning or
a question of action, only the Presi-
dent of the United States could
make a decision effective on both.
Besides, in 1941. the air power of the
United States was not organized on
q par with the ground and sea
forces.
Joint Chiefs Was Expedient.
Our expedient for meeting these
defects was the creation of the joint
Chiefs. of Staff. On this committee
sat tie Presidents chief of staff
and the chiefs of the land forces
the naval forces and the air forces
Under the joint chiefs were organ
lied number of committees bring.
ing together personnel of the thre,
services for joint strategic planning
and for coordination of operations
This kind of coordination was bet.
ter than no coordination at all
but it was in no sense a unified
command.
In the theaters of operation
meanwhile, we went further in tn,
direction of unity bv establishing
unlI1eO CO1I1IIdnuS. we CdHlc W lilt
conclusion-Soon confirmed by ex.
perience-that any extended mill.
tary effort required overall co-or'
dinated control in order to get tn.
most out of the three armed forces
Had we not early in the war adopted
this principle of a unified command
for rations, our efforts, no mat
ter how heroic, might have failed
But we never had comparable uni
fed direction or command in Wash
ington. And even in the field, ou
unity of operations was greatly inn
paired by the differences in train
ing, in doctrine. in communication
systems, and in supply and distri
button systems, that stemmed from
the division of leadership in Wash
ington.
1t is true, we we're able to VIII
In spite of these handicaps. Blu
it is now time to take stock, to dis
card obsolete organizational form
and to provide for the future tn
soundest. the most effective and tn
most economical kind of structur