Evening star., 1946-02-26

security Of the LEVEL Melistt.
world" in the words of President
Truman-requires the keeping ol
1000, 900 young men in Army anc
Navy uniforms. But national habi'
with relation to military service will
not provide those 100000 young
men. Selective service could fur
nish them, Of course, despite the
rapid rate of demobilization, If the
country were prepared to accept the
extension of the draft for an in
definite period. But the country is
clearly in no mood for compulsory
service in peacetime. Responding to
this mood, Congress seems unlikely
to renew the Draft Act when it ex-
pires May Is.
Wilson's Proposal.
Various methods of raising a siz-
able volunteer armed force are being
explored, the latest being the pro-
posal Of Representative Vinson,
chairman of the House Committee
on Naval Affairs. He would under
take to obtain 100000 men for duty
overseas by doubling the present
pay, providing free transportation
for soldiers families and allowing
30-day annual vacations or fur
loughs. Military men for the most
part doubt that these inducements
will provide the armies of occupa-
ton they deem necessary under our
present national policy. They would
like to see the draft law extended.
The national policy behind this
effort to retain and develop a pow
erful fighting force Is simply the
purpose to protect this country
against any foreseeable future con-
tingency and, in the meantime, to
make our influence felt in world
affairs; we want to make the world
a place in which we can live COM
fortably.
In this connection there is no use
in blinking at the fact that we are
thinking lot about the emergence
OF Russia as real power. That
Russia is strong and growing stronger
is clear enough. How Russia will use
its strength Is not clear at all. The
men now dominant in Russia do not
forget nor allow anybody else to
forget how, in their own lifetime,
Russia was continually pushed
around by the other powers. They
proclaim their intention to prevent
any return to that state of affairs.
This attitude, being merely de-
fensive, would cause no concern.
What is feared is that it may de-
velop into an offensive attitude, with
the Russians trying to push other
people around. That Is the contin-
gency foreseen by our military men
and for which they wish to be pre-
pared. -
New Ffve-Year Plan.
It may or 1t may not occur. Sta
Inns new five-year plan proposes to
resume the great construction pro-
gram that was interrupted and al
most wrecked by the Second World
War. But it proposes also a con-
tinual strengthening of the country's
military power. The hammer and
sickle will be put to work again but
the musket will not be laid away.
Demobilization is not even dis
cussed.
What will we do? Unless there is
a complete change in our national
habit we will continue to reduce our
armed strength. We may devise an
expert skeleton military organiza-
ton capable of being filled out
quickly in time of crisis, and we
may furnish the military men with
the funds to keep our land, sea and
air forces abreast of all chronological
advances in methods of warfare. We
should be able to keep even, If not
ahead, of the rest of the world in
the development of the atoms de-
structive power.
Beyond that, the rest of the world,
including Russia, knows that If we
have to, we will fight.
There remains one other thing