Detroit evening times., 1946-01-03
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY Paul
MaIIon

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3-Be-
w hind all this argument as
10 whether we should have a
youth draft is A basic question
of what is good discipline. AT
least il is the only unanswered
phase of the question, IN my
opinion.
The facts rather clearly prove
that the army could get more
men trained by democratic
means than by a youth draft
There are many substitute
ways in which all the military
aspects involved in compulsory
military training can be cared
for efficiently, and youth health
as well. But there is the one
remaining meet problem of
youth disciplinary training
which certainly cries for solu-
tion today.
Most civilians who are in
favor of the youth draft ground
their defense of that extreme
proposal on the theory that the
youth is running wild and a
year of military training away
from home would greatly bene-
fl them and the nation as a
whole.
WELL, now, let's see:
w The official army definition
OF discipline in its manuals is:
Discipline II that mental at
titude and state of training
which render obedience and
proper conduct instructive under
all conditions"
This is the kind of discipline
the army would attempt TO i'm
pose upon the nations youth.
You can plainly see il is the
military Interpretation of disci-
pline, and not the civilian in
terpretation.
The idea behind it is to main
tain the most rigid observance
of commands which are neces-
sary in a military machine, but
are Communism and Fascism in
philosophy when practiced in
civilian life. Such a philosophy
for civilians is wrong and un-
democratic.
EOR INSTANCE, the applica-
ton of such philosophy
upon civilians would first bring
up the question:
Obedience to whom? Potiti-
cal obedience?
Only obedience to an instinct
OF good would be a sound de-
finition of self discipline for
civilians.
Proper conduct" in the mill
tary sense also is quite different
from civilian requirements.
Look at the way the army
handles the liquor problem. No
effort is made TO teach dis
cipline or moderation which all
the ages of time have counseled
as the wiseSt solution.
THAT is only one point Of
Il conduct / mention merely
10 illustrate the degree of diff
ference between the concepts in
the military mind as distinct
from what will make a good
man in civilian life.
The record of the army on
sex hardly juStifies any greater
respect for military philosophy
as a disciplined way of life in
the civilian sense.
So, frankly l do not see how
the youth would benefit by
being drafted for year as
much as if the training systems
were put into the colleges and
national guard. with proper
management to build up a
civilian idea of what is dis
cipline and proper conduct.
INDEED the colleges already
Il are beginning to act. l hear
that recent report of the Har-
ward committee, General Edu-
cation and a Free Society" "
sets up new trend in secon-
Diary and higher education. II
has been described to me as one
more step away from the COM
pletely free elective system.
The committee contends that
students cannot be left entirely
10 themselves to choose from
the hundreds of courses or it
would be a miracle if they ended
up with an integrated set OF
courses leading toward any
definite goal.
Searching for unified theme
which could pervade all educa-
ton. | am told the committee
finally concludes that at least
half of the students courses in
high school and nearly as many
in the colleges should be def
nitely prescribed and required
for all.
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