Evening star., 1950-10-25
President Asks
National Guard
ToSupportU UNIT
Implies White House
Will Lounch AII-Out
Drive for Program
By WilIiom J. WheotIey

President Truman today urged
the National Guard Association
Of the United States to put every
thing you have" behind a uni
versal military training program.
The President told the associa-
tion's annual meeting at the May
flower Hotel that he did not be-
lieve the Korean situation would
have developed if some people
didn't believe that this Nation was
too proud to fight. He added that
the United States had entered a
fight every time that the situa-
ton required and said, 1--WE have
always won because we have al
ways been on the right side"
Mr.. Truman said he had
asked Congress eight times for
a UNIT law without success, and
indicated the White House will
make an all-out drive for crea-
ton OF the system as part of the
new defense program.
"One of the most disgraceful
things that ever happened in this
country was to find that "a per
cent OF our young men were not
physically fit to serve in the
armed force" Mr.. Truman said.
Says UNIT Would Avert 1t.
"A universal military training
system could eradicate that dis
grace.
Il hope you will put everything
you have behind a training pro-
gram to make the youth Of this
country better citizens and better
able to defend the country"
The President recalled that when
he first joined the Guard every
one had to put up Is cents Of
his own money on drill nights
but that now the members get
10. 20 or 80 times that amount
from the Federal Government for
attending each drill.
The backbone of the Nations
defense rests on the civilian COM
ponents Of the armed forces, the
President said.
In humorous vein, Mr.. Truman
told the be-medaled Guard officers
that he had never seen so much
brass at one time in his life. The
best thing about it, he said, was
that ii was civilian brass. But he
told them that to him brass meant
that they were men of RESPONSE
bility.
He Gets the Bricks.
Mr.. Truman recalled that he
put a medal on Gen. Macarthur
the other day" and at the time
had remarked that he wished he
could receive medal some day.
Gen. Macarthur told me that
it was my duty to give the medals.
not to receive them," he said.
About all I receive is the bricks.
It's a good thing I've got hard
head or it would have been broken
long since"
Gen. George c. Marshall, Sec
retary of Defense, told the asso-
citation yesterday that if strong
National Guard had been readily
available the current world situa-
ton would not have developed.
He has hopes, he said, that there
will be no shooting war, but there
will be great deal of service for
soldiers. He did not amplify the
statement.
He said, however, it is impera-
tive that the National Guard be
strengthened, adding that he had
not had sufficient time since TAX
ing office to delve into the Guards
problems.
Serious Situation.
I'VE are now confronted with
a very serious situation" Gen.
Marshall said. You are the larg-
est strength available in the de-
fense Of this Government. What
I am interested in, above all other
things, is how to make the Ma
tional Guard a much stronger
organization. We never can nave
a strong standing Army.
But" he continued, "it is i'm
perative If we do not have it that
(See GUARD. Page A-4)