Evening star., 1945-06-08
Conscription Debate
Declared UnreuIistic
Military Chiefs Silent on Needs
in Postwar Period, Says Writer
By David Laurence

in Postwar Period, Says Writer
By David Laurence
Discussion in congressional commit
tee Of the proposal to make all boys
between II and 20 subject to universal
military training in peacetime has be-
come rather unrealistic. The advocates
insist that the plan is necessary to en-
force world peace. The opponents say
the whole thing had better await the
conclusion of the war against Japan.
But the truth is that nobody is telling
the American people anything ABOUT
their military commitments in the So
called postwar period. The debate might
better be centered on what size Army
and Navy will be needed as q whole
to defend the United States and also
to furnish such forces as will be neces-
sary to fulfill American participation
in the security council OF the United
Nations
To train the youth for military serv-
Ice is desirable, but it is only fraction
Of the major plan. Until and unless
the people are told how big the Army
and Navy must be, and what the size
Of the total personnel needs will be, it
is natural for the opponents to argue
that the issue can be discussed after
the war as well as now.
Vital Questions Asked.
How big force will America need to
protect her interests in the new world
Of nationalism and imperialism which
has emerged so clearly since the Yalta
Conference? How big an army will
the United States have to maintain
permanently in Europe or near enough
to Europe to take care of any military
needs over there? What strategic bases
overseas, in both the Atlantic and the
Pacific, will be required so that our huge
air power can be employed at a moments
notice if the peace Of the world is again
disturbed? And how large a ground
force Of troops will be needed to care
for the airplanes in those bases?
These are the vital questions, and 1t
would apoar that the War Department
has made mistake in arousing unnec-
essary antagonisms over universal mill
tary training instead of outlining frank
ly in advance the whole military policy
Of the United States.
The Yalta Conference committed the
United States to guarantee the peace of
Europe by force. The commitment to
insist on voice in any European ques-
tions and to do away with special spheres
OF influence is one that gained wide
spread approval from the American
press at the time. Great Britain Is DOW
erless alone to assure the military pro-
lection Of European countries that are
in the peace-loving class. France is too
weak to do the job. Germany has been
eliminated as a military power. Only
the forces of the United States and
Russia are available for the major Job
OF enforcing peace.
Even If the needs for an overseas
army in Europe and the Far East are
not to be long-lived and the forces in
side Germany are to be withdrawn after
hve years, there remains the problem Of
personnel for the United States Navy.
The American people will insist that
sea pover-which includes air power and
amphibious forces capable of taking and
defending island bases-must be main
tanned at strength as large as, II not
larger than, any other nation or COM
bination of nations which could be
aligned against us.
Force Alone Talks.
1t may take at least 100000 men to
man the Navy for long time after the
war and at least 100000 to 5000 900 for
the Army In postwar years. In addition
to this large reserve of possibly 3,0oo,-
600 more may be needed. This is where
universal military training comes into
provide the reserves. The regulars will
have to be obtained on volunteer basis.
Doubtless many hundreds of thousands
OF young men between 20 and 80 will
take term Of enlistment OF five years
with a fve-year period for call from
reserve status. This plan of rotation
will furnish much of the reserve strength
needed.
The exact figures of personnel require
ments are being discussed now by Presi-
dent Truman with high onicers of the
armed services and may become known
shortly. But it would be surprising in
deed if the men who have been COM
manding large operations in Europe and
who know what it means to police
Europe will be satisfied with a token
force Of occupation as happened after
the last war. To exercise q diplomatic
influence in Europe, the American armed
forces will have to be available to back
1t up or else the viewpoint of the United
States will gradually become meaning
less. This is apparently to be a world
where force alone talks. That is what
has been manifested already in the
councils of Europe.
The United Nations organization will
be helpful in mobilizing moral force to
prevent war, but physical force is to be
the basis OF the coming era of balanced
power. The sooner the War and Navy
Departments tell the public what Is
needed by way of personnel for our new
military policy. the simpler will become
the question of military training for our
youth.
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Postwar Europe
Prom the calsary Herald:
1t is problematical If parliamentary