The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-12
More on Compulsory Training

week or so ago The Democrat took occasion to com ment edtoray the political cowardce evinced by mem bers of Congress who to be waverng in the face of public approval of the universal military training bill in the mistaken belief that political expedency dictates their o posing the Subsequently We received and pub lished letters from first e. l. Joe, and later e. l. Joe No. 9"
 We are glad the two Joe's wrote It gives us chance to ampify our feelings in the matter incidental N to make position clearer to them and any others who may feel as they do
 The first Joe accuses proponents of the bill and hence by inference The Democrat of prasng the byproducts of health wealth and happiness which will come With the training We claim virtues for compulsory military training aside from the protection gives the nation against military helpessness Does 1t need any other virtue! AS for health wealth, etc.. believe President Trumans bill for national disqualification plan holds greater promise of gaining those ends than does military training.
 Joe the First also says "A soldier in Army re ceive skilled rating at military occupationa speciality ill three months That probably true at the end of the war; it also true in 1941 when Army had sunk to the nadr of neectveness to which Joe advocates We now return? In any feel it more necessary that Amer avoid position which General Eisenhower is quoted in General Marshalls report the saying Germany occupied when Germany is throwing into the line some divisions with only six weeks training fact that contrib utes materially to his high casualty rae We don't be- leve Joe wants argue for plan which raise our casualty rate in which all hope to avoid.
 As for Joe Mo- 2 the point of his letter concdes very closely with of those The Democrat seeks to make namely that "most servcemen' (and might add the general pub) "have indifferent attitude about expor ing the ramcatons of legislation that has it's immediate effect others than themselves We believe that Con- and Senators don't hear from enough of their stuen The voice they hear is that of the vocal few not of the indifferent majority. The majority of Americans the advisaby of being strong in world that is dis ordered if actually awless We feel that Truman and Marshall and Eisenhower and Nimtz know whereof they speak when it to national safety But it's to us to say and not to sit uncompaningly by while militant
 minority foists it's welpropagandized will on all of us
 As for the Gallup Poll. it's latest report tabuates an- swers to the frank unvarnshed and frankly prased query
 n the future do you think every abeboded young man should be required take military naval training for one 5ear?"
 "Yes" included n % of the professional and business 7296 of white collar workers 5896 of farm ers 73qo of manual workers and 7f6 of union members Of those between the ages of 21 and 29 1920 said Yes 7O of those between 30 and 49 and 69 of those 5O Persons of both political parties persons from all sections of the country persons with all degrees of schooling said SYes in percentages varying from 63 to 76 That would seem indicate fairly substantial percentage in favor of universal military training.
 The two G. l. Joes are certainly entitled their opinion but believe it is minority opinion. What do other readers think