Evening star., 1948-04-07
Stronger Forces
Urged for Peace
On Army Day
Trumon and Military
Leaders Join $50, 900
Parade Spectators
By John A. Giles

The Nation had before 1t TO-DAY
strong, new pleas by its military
leaders for larger, more powerful
Army as an instrument of peace
no less than of war.
For no sooner had the drum
beats died out along Constitution
avenue after an Army Day parad,
before more than 10000 specta
tors than the officers and civiliar
officials who have charge OF tn,
Nations military might took VI
the cry for a strengthened fighting
arm.
The days activities here wer,
climaxed at a dinner given by tn,
Military Order of the World War.
at which Army Secretary Royal
declared I'VE need protection
not after the war starts, but be.
fore war Is imminent"
Mr. Royal disclosed that thu
Army's 5000 soldiers in Alaska, thu
country's Arctic outpost, did not in.
clude a single combat ground sol.
dier."
Turning to President Truman.
double request for temporary Sc
lective service and Universal Mill
tary Training, the Army Secretary
said he sees mo safe way for end.
ing selective service, until we build
up q trained reserve by UNIT"
$4,000 in Parade.
Down flag -decked Constitution
avenue an estimated $4,000 men an6
women of the armed services, vet.
Grams, college and high school stu.
dents swung along on foot or rolled
in big troop carriers past President
Truman's reviewing stand.
With the President were Mr.
Royal, Defense Secretary Forrestal
Maj. Gen. Hobart Gay of the Mill.
tary District of Washington, who
led the parade and then joined the
group; Vice Admiral Earle w. Mills
commander Of the District Chap
ter Of the Military Order of the
World Wars and an assortment Of
congressman and high-ranking
military leaders.
-Four or five Russian military OBJ.
servers in full uniform sat in the
back row Of grandstand, far tc
the right Of the President. They
were among the 30 foreign military
and air attaches present.
They got good look at an as
sortment of air compressors, 12-
ton tractors and portable cranes
but no tanks or other armor. Fol
the parade demonstrated little Of
the superior mechanical equipment
and firepower which the Nation
produced in such vast quantity
during the last war and which the
Army possessed at the end Of hos.
tilities. a
Jet Fighters Appear.
Perhaps the only thing reminis.
cent OF Americas magnificent wal
machine was the appearance over.
head of a squadron Of P-80 jet
fighters, which swooped along the
line of march.
But the parade did point to the
future hope of the Nations defense
as fas as manpower is concerned ir
the form of Army, Navy and All
Force Reserve units-parading fol
the first time since the war-ane
the ROTC units.
WACS and WAVES joined in the
march. The District Nationa
Guard, led by Brig. Gen. Albert L
Cox. comprised a complete division
in the parade.
Col. Frederic Boyer, senior Re
serve instructor for the District, wa
marshal Of the division composed
of the Reserve Corps, ROTC ant
high school cadets.
The veterans units division, LEI
by Maj. Ernest j. st. Jacques, fea
tured contingents from the Amer
ican Legion, Veterans of Foreigl
Wars, Regular Veterans and Dis
abled American Veterans, the lat
ter in taxicabs.
Sd Infantry Reactivated.
Just before the parade got starte,
the Sd Infantry, the Regular Army
Oldest regiment with a history dat
ing back to the Revolution, was re
activated with a special ceremon
at the Capitol. Col. J. B. Matlacl
commandant at Fort Myer, becam
its commanding officer. Col. Mat
lack led the Regular service troop
in the parade.
Under balmy skies, women In ligh
spring dresses, children sprawle
on the warm green grass and Gov
ernment workers, who had been lie
out Of work at 2 pm. watched tn
parade.
A number Of cases requiring frs
aid were reported, none of ther
serious. One of the P-80 fighter
crashed near Annapolis, but Ii
pilot, Capt. Earl Bastien, was NO
hurt. The cause of the crash wa
not determined.
Shortly after the reactivatiol
ceremony a special color guard ar
rived at the Capitol to present t
House Speaker Martin and Senat
President Vandenberg the fla
which f1uttered over the seat o
the Government when war was de
clared in 1941 and later was rul
up over Rome, Berlin and Toky,
as they fell in turn.
Russia Not Named.
Mr.. Royal, in his address in tn
Mayflower Hotel last night, did no
mention Russia by name but h
said that "the four essentials of
realistic program for peace ar
fairness, firmness, firepower ant
faith" and added that he mean
fairness to all nations, 'includin
even those who seem hostile to us.
Despite recent events" he saio
II do not suggest that war is i'm
minent. On the other hand. W
cannot risk the entire saftey of ou
country on the assumption-and W
cannot fix our military require
ments on the asumption-that wa
will not come at all or that it vii
be deferred for any particular mum
Der of years"
Declaring that 1--WE try to delud,
ourselves by saying that Russis
is backward mechanically" Gen
George C. Kenney, commanding tn,
Strategic Air Command, told !.
| Cleveland catherine that the Sovic