The midland journal., 1946-04-19

the peaCetlme army AIiu navy
That's what Uncle has been doing.
Life on the bounding main has al
ways had sufficient appeal, especial
ly to inlanders, to keep the navy up
to par without much effort. But
Americans ordinarily just don't 60
for soldering, and that fact has the
war department worried. 1t doesn't
decide how big or little the army
must be. It gets its orders from
higher up. Such and such is Amer
ica's policy-the war department
has to get enough pairs of sound legs
and arms and enough cool heads
to carry 1t out.
Conscription has always been u1-
popular. We don't even like to use
the word. But we have to get the
men. Hence the fight to extend the
draft and hence the greatest recruit
ing campaign this or any other courl-
try has ever launched. The sum ex-
pended on this campaign is big,
even compared to the amount spent
to remind America Of "the pause
that refreshes." It was run like any
other advertising campaign, with a
selection of the media best suited
for its purposes. Newspapers, daily
and weekly, magazines, especially
those devoted to popular science,
billboards and radio, posters and
window displays were generously
used,
It did bring in 32O, 1921 recruits but
that isn't enough. And enlistments
have declined steadily from their
peak in November. That month
1876, 900 men either signed up or "re-
upped" as we used to say. But
watch the numbers shrinkl Decem-
ber, 131 900; Januarys 113 ,000; Feb
ruary, $4,000; March (estimated)
$4,000; April, ????7?
Seek to Better
G.Es Lot
Besides this vigorous campaign a
real, sincere and sustained effort is
being made to improve the life in
ibarrack and drill-feld. Hearings to
hear the G.I. gripes, with specific
plans to right wrongs where they
were found and can be corrected,
ia thorough examination of army JUS
tice by civilian lawyers, selected by
the American Bar association, a
20 per cent pay increase, all these
are part Of a plan furthered by Sec
retary Of War Patterson whose one
desire Is to leave the army better
when he retires than the way he
found It.
But there are a lot of hurdles.
One is the need of a higher type Of
soldier in these days of mechanical
warfare; the second is the increas-
ing standard of civilian wages with
which the army has to compete. The
Iautomotive and the durable goods
industries are the chief competitors
and their pay is good.
! However, there are intangibles
which enter into the question too.
"A man has to have more than a de-
sire for clothes, a roof and three
square meals day and no respon-
lsibilities. To enlist he has to have
a certain love for adventure, will
Eingness to accept the hardships Of
barrack life In far countries.
The army doesn't really in its
heart want the draft. It Is a case
of taking what they can get. ! know
of no officer who would not prefer
a volunteer army That is another
intangible. But with the commit
ments which the United States has
today and until a United Nations or
ganization can be formed which can
take over the military function Of
the separate countries. the need is
men.
There is something strange about
the opposition to extension Of the
draft as revealed in the hearings.
In my personal contacts I have not
felt that opposition. BY far the ma
jority of people ! have talked with
on my recent trips through seven
states have agreed that extension
of selective service was neces-
sary-some said a necessary evil
ih,,t still necessary. One of the most