Evening star., 1947-02-10

an0 Unoefsecretary OF State
Grey told the Germans unequivocally
that If they attacked Belgium, Great
Britain would declare war within an
hour, it is a fair hypothesis that the
first world war would never have oc-
Cured Had the United States been
adequately prepared in 1941, it is q
fair hypothesis that Japan would
never have attacked. For prepared
ness Is at present the only insurance
against war. Without preparedness,
diplomacy, our first line Of national
defense, is bankrupt.
Let us do everything in our power
to support the United Nations in its
enlightened efforts to ensure dur
able world peace, but until the
United Nations develops to q point
where it commands our full conf
dence that it can prevent war, 1t
would be the height of folly to let
down our guard.
That the atomic bomb will, in our
generation, render armies and navies
obsolete is highly dangerous and
illogical concept on which to gamble
our national security.
That is why the extension Of the
Selective Service draft for another
year for our national defense Is
plain, common sense.
Well, the draft has been extended for
the time being, but that is not enough.
A year ago last June had the privilege
Of opening the hearings before the Con-
gressional Committee on Postwar Mill
Gary Policy on the proposed plan for
compulsory military training for our
youth, and in November, 1s45, testified
on the same subject before the Military
Affairs Committee of the House Of Rep
resentatives. I testified emphatically in
favor of that plan. The subject then
under discussion is coming up in due
course and feel strongly that every
American should be thinking about it
and debating 1t in his mind, prepared to
take a position when the time comes.
On May 8, 1915, Germany surrendered.
On September !, 1945, Japan surren-
dered. What q profound satisfaction 1t
would be II we could now lay aside our
arms with the certain assurance that
war is now forever thing of the past!
That is what we thought and that is
what we did in 1918. In 1941 We were
taught bitter lesson as result OF that
belief and that action. Have our people
not learned that lesson?
I believe that they have done 50. I
cannot believe that our people will ever
again-at least in our lifetime-do as
we did after 1918.
There Isn't Much Time.
In any case, 1t Is idle to make COM
parsons with 1918. The world today is
a far different place. Science, while
annihilating space, has produced power
undreamed of in the past. Science will
still produce engines Of war undreamed
of today. Yet for every weapon Of Of
fense, science will endeavor to develop
weapons Of defense, and weapons,
whether Of ofense or defense, can be
used effectively only by trained men.
Indeed, trained manpower Tor the pro-
lection Of Our homeland will be pre-
cisely as essential in the future as 1t has
been in the past. We cannot afford to
Ddit.
The answer to the problem is, OF
course, that war must go-foreyer. But
that great objective cannot, alas, be
attained overnight. The pessimists or
the realists, as you will, may hold that
this objective can never be attained.
They will point to the fact that wars,
as have said, are not made by nations
but are prepared and ultimately COM
menced by small groups Of insane men
exercising military control, not subject
10 the will of the people. Against that
we have the mighty potential bulwark
of the United Nations, which we should
do everything In our power to help de-
velop to q point where it can command
our full confidence as a certain guaran-
tee against future wars of aggression.
But until the United Nations has de-
veloped to q point where it can COM
mand our confidence, it would, 7 repeat
and it cannot be repeated too often
be the height of folly to jeopardize our
national security, indeed our very
freedom, by letting down our guard in
the years ahead.
If during those years before Pearl
Harbor we had had available this great
proposed reserve of young men, expertly
trained for war If war should be thrust
upon us, as we'll as two-ocean Navy,
and If we had told the japanese in no
uncertain terms that the American
people proposed to use this available
trained power if need be, who can say
whether the Japanese hothead military
extremists might not have been de-
tered by the saner elements in that
misguided country from ever attack
ing us?
believe in the lessons of history.
For the present at least, and probably
for long to come, we need to take out
an insurance policy against war, and
the best insurance can conceive Is the
effectuation. in close cooperation with
and effective support of the United
Nations world organization, Of this plan
for military training for Our young men.
And that training will be largely tech
biological, not merely shouldering arms.
Preparedness for war is the most power
full argument for peace that man has
ever been able to devise Let us keep
our high idealism-all Of it-but let us
look facts in the face. ~
y ac~.l