Evening star., 1945-11-07
Letters to The Star
Differs With Miss Thompson's
Views of Universal Traininx


Views of Universal TRAINING
To the Editor Of The Star:
Columnist Dorothy Thompson, who
often hits the ball of world problems
right on the nose with resounding
and effective "thwack," seems bit of
form in her comments of october 20.
Now it is nothing unusual for news
paper columnists, as well as radio COM
mentators and baseball players, to fan
the air sometimes instead of squarely
hitting the ball, even when they can see
1t plainly. I am reminded of a girls
basketball game I once witnessed: One
player, amid the wild scramble to get
hold Of the ball, persistently stood on
tiptoe, shut her eyes and waved her
arms wildly in the air, in the evident
hope that by some mysterious means
her beating arms might contact the
ball and send it into the hands of a
teammate instead of right into the
waiting arms of the opposition-only
in her case she didn't even try to see
the big problem BAH.
Some such futility would seem to
mark the usually open-eyed Miss
Thompson's present commentary, in
which she discusses the Presidents plea
for universal military training. She
strikes at things that just aren't there.
The President calls for the manpower
necessary to keep Americas great fight
ing strength potent for helping main
tain peace; she cries, Armament race!"
The President calls for trained man.
power sufficient to maintain our pres
ent superiority against a powerful
enemy; she cries, What enemy?
Superiority over whom? Universal mill
tary training is not for the enforce
ment of peacep 1t is asked because
there is no peace! 1t Is asked in the
frantic hope that the great nations,
estimating each others terrifying power,
will fear to attack each other, lest the
result be mutual annihilationl"
Urges Trust Of President.
Why not take the Presidents words
at no more than their face value, as a
plea for constant alertness and pre-
paredness so that whatever contingency
may arise we shall be ready; no single
contingency, specified or implied, but
just "any contingency? Perhaps there
is more of canniness and less of frantic
hope in the Presidents words than our
commentator gives him credit for. The
United States, despite any mistakes it
may have made on the diplomatic front,
still stands as the champion of Justice,
liberty and peace" 1t has not lost its
position of moral leadership. and must
maintain military leadership to back
up the other, and that means power
for even the remote contingency of a
now nominally "peace-loving" nation. or
a rejuvenated remnant Of some old war
lover. insanely allowing unholy ambi-
ton, jealousy. revenge, or other evil
motive, to SO stifie its better Judgment
that 1t would dare launch an attack
against world bloc which wants peace
so much that it will fight to protect and
maintain 1t.
Stresses World Dilemma.
Whatever the conference and commit
ments of political leaders Of the great
powers may have failed to accomplish
because Of the uncertain integrity of
the hearts of men, they have-with the
aid Of atomic power-accomplished this
one thing: They have brought, or are
fast bringing, a realization that in the
struggle between the human forces Of
darkness and light. An attack against
one is an attack against all, and that
though an insane attacker might ac-
complish wholesale destruction of the
life and resources Of the attacked in
one moment, Its own life and resources
for war or pursuits Of peace would be
well-nigh obliteratAd in the next, by
the "peace-lovers" Of the world. That
Is our sad consolation in the present
dilemma.
Many citizens would join Miss Thomp-
son In asking, why has not the United
States, being In commanding position
both morally and militarily, used that
position in a more ironclad fashion to
enforce adoption Of policies that would
tend to solidify rather than weaken
world coalition?" Whether 1t has or
AN ~ Aoe 81 nv tllbS LlIuG.
What is important Is: Shall the
United States maintain Its present great
power at highest efficiency to help pre-
serve world peace, and in so doing be
able to protect its own doorsteps in any
sudden emergency? And equally i'm
portant in its bearing on the FIRST: viii
the leaders Of all the great powers make
mutually Of interest rather than ma
tional advantage the goal Of their
further deliberations and policies
mutually Of interest that will take in
world interest in all its aspects?
This course, obviously, does not mean
"lawlessness for the powerful and servi-
tude for the weak" rather it means
surety for the smaller powers against
any encroachment by Germanism, jap
anism, Francoism, Peronism, or any
other manifestations Of the hydraheaded
beast of criminal-motived aggression,
and progress such as many OF them have
never known before.
After all is said and done, world peace
may be afar off. It seems not to be in
the cards Of destiny. But all this old
world can do is just keep on trying.
Who knows what the gods may have in
store for us? JON SMELL.