Evening star., 1948-03-18

service which represents most powerful
antidote against the obviously spreading ulcer
Of communism H. HFXH
In Behalf of the Waves
70 the Editor Of The Star:
I have followed with considerable interest
the hearings on the bill to make the women's
services permanent part of the Army, Navy
and Air Force. I have also been interested
in your apparent lack of discernment in this
issue, as reflected by what has appeared In
The Star. The policy Of presenting both sides
OF a question, which has been one Of your
strong points in the past, seems to have been
abandoned in favor Of q sink Navy" policy.
There are many sound reasons why the bill
should be passed, but you have given no op-
portunity for any of them to be heard.
In the first place, the top military men Of
all the services, as well as the civilian secre-
taries urgently have requested that such leg
islation be passed. These are the men who
are responsible for our national security they
know the needs Of the services, and have had
opportunity to determine what the results Of
such legislation would be. Even Admiral
Ninnitz, one Of the strongest opponents to
women in the Navy in the beginning, has made
. complete about-face and stated that the
service rs . whole has benefited, that the
women should be retained. Please note that
his regard Is for the service as q whole, as Is
that Of other responsible military men. We
should think twice before disregarding their
advice
Secondly, decision on what Is best for all
the military services should not be made on
the basis of rotation of sea and shore duty
in the Navy. Since the strength OF the women's
components Is to be held to a maximum two
per cent, it takes pretty good stretch of the
imagination to see how this small number ma
terially can affect the rotation. This espe-
cially Is true considering that women will be
given overseas billets and will not be retained
in the continental United States. But why
should the Army and the Air Force be judged
on the basis Of q small internal problem pc
culiar to the Navy? 1t doesn't make sense
to me.
Finally, the most important side Of the whole
problem has not even been mentioned by the
antagonists. That Is the question Of prepared
ness. Fundamental responsibilities Of tho
armed services in time Of peace are to main
tain forces in suficient strength to uphold the
policies Of the United States, to protect us and
our possessions, and to plan for the expansion
of peacetime components in the event of war.
There can be little doubt that women will be
called to serve should we find ourselves faced
with another war. Even If the world situation
were not as tense as 1t is now, it would be fool
hardy for the services to abandon the nucleus
of women which they now have, and who read
lily can be expanded II necessary.
I realize that it is hard for the men to face
the fact that women can be Of value to the
military which is practically the last strong
hold of male isolationism, but do not think
that this particular issue should be decided by
arinoo rtir
to decide broad issues without due regard for
all opinions, this time think we should take
the advice Of the experts. P. G. G.
States That Weren't Territories
To the Editor of The Star:
In your issue of March IS, Nelson Gaskill
disagrees with the United States Supreme
Court as to the ownership of the tidal lands
lying off the coasts Of the original l3 States,
and further reasons that perhaps Texas and
other States do not have the same rights as do
the original 13.
I agree with Mr.. Gaskill's reasoning regard
ing the original 13 States. However, he evi-
IDENTIFY has forgotten his history and geography
or he would know that Texas was not acquired
through conquest or purchase. Texas was an
independent republic under its own government
and so recognized by this and other nations,
and the United States sent accredited ENJOYS
to the Republic of Texas just as it does to
Brazil, France and other republics. Read page
5l1 Of the United States Statutes, volume g.
to learn of the treaty between the Republic Of
Texas and the United States of America,
wherein John Forsyth was the envoy Of the
United States in the signing on April Is, 1888,
of the treaty which fixed the boundary between
Texas and the United States.
Texas decided to join the American Union
in 1845 and made the first move to do so. But
Texas never was a territory Of the United
States any more than were Virginia and Mas
sachusetts, and her tidal lands were never
given to the Union any more than were the
tidal lands of Virginia, Massachusetts, and the
other original Is States The Mexico-United
States War was not fought to free Texas. Texas
won her own independence in 1886. The Mex
ico-U United States War was fought In 1S47-4S
over the boundary west Of Texas, and New
Mexico, Arizona and California became part
Of the United States territory - 0 result OF
ths va. TEXAS fought . var With ke0eo n