Evening star., 1946-05-03
Strong National Guard
Is Alternative 10 Huqe
Army, Adjutants Hear

A NatlOndl Guard winch can be
counted on for dependable" sup
port of the regular military estab-
lishment on any future mobilization
day is the only alternative to main
tenance of an enormous" standing
army, Maj. Gen. Ray E. Porter, di-
rector of the Special Planning Di-
vision of the War Department, said
today
Addressing the Adjutants' General
Association of the United States at
the Hotel Statler, Gen Porter said
any future war will, in all likeli-
hood, be undeclared" He said he
spoke as an individual and not for
the War Department.
He explained that future aggres-
sors would have "the impelling in
centive and appropriate means to
launch sudden and devastating at
tack" before they decided to move
against the United States.
Gen. Porter said II continuous
months of training was the desirable
minimum for any program OF uni
versal military service. In the event
men subject to the program were
permitted an option of joining an
organized reserve unit in lieu of a
portion of such training, he said at
least six months instruction should
be required.
Would Not Permit Preparation.
They would not be likely again to
permit the Nation time for prepara-
ton after hostilities began, he
warned.
Gen. Porter said he considered
universal military training the most
desirable and probably the only
practical means" of assuring the
Nation an adequate pool of trained
reserve manpower. He said he did
not hold with some private citizens
who felt the National Guard never
could be made a dependable force,
capable of prompt, effective combat
service, and added he considered it
significant that he had heard no
such expression from any Regular
Army officer.
May, Kerr to Speak.
Chairman May of the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee, Represent
ative Kerr, Democrat, of North
Carolina and Rear Admiral John E.
Gingrich, u S. N, were to be heard
this afternoon.
Several speakers at yesterdays
sessions expressed concern for fate
of the National Guard if Selective
Service is not extended, saying i'm
mediate troop allotments Of 250,000
men would remain untitled. 1t was
pointed out provision OF the Sc
lective Service Act provides exemp-
ton from induction for men who
join the National Guard.
If the law lapses, the speakers
argued, the major Guard recruiting
inducement would be removed.
Addressing the association were
Secretary of War Patterson, Maj.
Gen. Butler B. Miltonberger, chief
of the National Guard Bureau; Maj.
Gen. Milton A. Reckord, adjutant
general of Maryland and head OF
the Legislative Committee of the
Adjutants General Association; and
Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, head of
Selective Service.
Reckord Attacks Air Forces.
Gen. Reckord in his speech ac-
cused the Air Forces, in the event
that it is established as a separate
service, of planning to take over"
the aviation of the National Guard.
The general predicted that the
National Guard was headed for
trouble" with the Air Forces He
said: "They have some young men
there who apparently don't know
the background and history of the
National Guard, the constitution or
the law. They think they are going
to take over the aviation of the
National Guard. If the Air Forces
is in that frame of mind and if they
become autonomous in a few
months, We had better do some
thing about it now."
zen. RecKOrd suggested tffat the
remedy was to lift the National
Guard Bureau to a higher level with
an Assistant Secretary of War and
to define the bureaus functions def
nitely by law.
Patterson Urges Strong Guard.
Secretary of War Patterson said
prompt re-establishment of strong
National Guard is essential in ward
ing off possible future threats to
peace because of the Nations tradi-
tional reliance on trained civilian
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