The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1946-02-28
SECREST AGAINST
PEACE TIME
DRAFT IN NATION
Former Congressman
Voices Opinion, Opposes
Sale of Foreign Bonds

Former Congressman Robert T.
Secrest speaking before a labor
meeting in GAINESVILLE Monday night,
declared that adequate and powerful
armed forces were assured without
resorting to the draft in time of
peace.
After his return from the Pacific,
Secrest was in charge of navy re-
cruiting for Chicago and q counties
in northern Illinois. He asserted that
already the regular navy has secured
more than 80 percent of all it's re-
| quired postwar personnel. He point
ed out that the regular army has re-
cruited over half million men in
less than four months.
Secrest stated that "service in the
armed forces of the United States
should be such that young man
can choose it as profession just as
he might decide to farm, or work in
mine or factory"
Present pay, allotments to families
and the right to retire after twenty
years of service have Appealed to
many, he pointed out and added that
the proposed pay increases would ap-
peal to many more.
SecreSt went on to exnlain that
in peace time the families of all
service men except the lower three
grades in the armv are permitted to
move to the permanent station of
the individual. This right should be
extended, he saws, to the lower |
grades as "a private gets lust as
lonesome for his family as anv COM
miSsioned or non-commissioned Off
GER" When this change in the law
is effected, he is confident that the
United States will he able tt main
tain the finest mi'itarv establish
ment in the world and the morale of
the personnel will exceed that of any
period in history.
81 want our armed strength main
tanned to the point -vhpre there can
never be for us another Pearl Har-
bor!" he declared. "The recent great
number of volunteers has demon
strated that this can be ACCOMPLISHED
without further retention of the
draft law"
81 have no objection to physical
training in every high school and {
college, but until tho draft question ,
is settled no young man can plan
his future. ,
"This and every other iss"e should +
be faced squarelv. discussed fully, {
and acted unon With the least de- q
lay!" he concluded,
AGAINST SALE OF BONDS I
Secrest in a speech before the
Kiwanis club recently at a
lacked the proposal to permit the
sale of foreign bonds to citizens of I
he United States. 4
Secrest said. an the 1920's billions =
# dollars of worthless i~n bonds
we're sold in the United States and v
hey were a contributing factor in j
he closing of thousands Of banks o.
md the financial r''i0 Of millions Of
,eople. | not onlv oppose the loan of ,
ash to Great Britain or Russia, but
would forbid the sale of foreign II
onds to our citizens. l'
eve VII have our hands full to Il
efinance our own governments II
onds and such ;; PROPOSAL would
destroy the lit'le hope we IN
ave of any payment of lend lease w
alances from our former allies.
an my opinion the who.a p'Cposal II
'cud again offer the Ameri"a1 pub |,
C as suckers to the worlds worst sa
0rm of international racketeering.
Ie must not let the bars down either |,
18th or without guarantee of in n
crest and principal by our own gov ~
rnment.
Under the loan plan, our govern IN
tent would give the taxpayers III
oney away don't think it could IN
: paid back. Under the oond plan q
e would IN ite foreign governments ST.
} steal the money from our people WI
) they did before. Cl'
Senator Hiram johnson of Calf
mia was the author of a law for op
dding loans to nations in default eV
1 debts to the United States arising
1t OF Word War /. "'S
Senator I'd Johnson of Colorado we
'esents a bill to allow the sale of
,nds of these countries in the u. S. eei
Il think Hiram was right and Ed Col
wrong.
"a have always beneved it to be 'n&
e duty or LEGISLATOR TO search out VIC
e right and defend 1t, regardless of ia
Iltlco, party pressure, or party pre-
dice. Ii all of the Congress would RE
how this rule our problems would
on De solved "a
Secrest's position Is directly oppo- M
e tnaU Oh his opponent, present wit
GrlItlln, VINO said last e
eK before the bIarleCLa CnambeI ent
Commerce mat he would support nal
2 johnson Dill 10 permit the sale VII
1orelgA bonus il the Y. .. did not ten
aranCee the payment OF the in
est and principal on them. III
eW Beauty ShOD cho