Evening star., 1950-10-26
National Guard Group
Votes 10 Seek PASSAGE
0fUMT Legislation
By William J. WheotIey


The full power of the National
Guard Association of the United
States will be thrown behind uni
versal military training legislation
in the next Congress.
The association in its annual
conference at the Mayf1ower Hotel
yesterday unanimously adopted a
resolution directing it's officers,
executive council and standing
committee on legislation to press
for UNIT enactment.
The action followed plea by
President Truman for support of
such legislation. The President
made a short speech before the
association.
Clark Addresses Groups.
Gen. Mark Clark, commander
OF the Army Field Forces, told the
guardsmen he knew of no plan
or policy which would elimin-
ate the guard as distinctive estate
units after they had been called
into Federal service. He said that
this integrity of national guard
units will and should be main
tanned.
The field forces commander said
that the intensive training pro-
gram for the National Guard units
now in Federal service will begin
not later than November 7. The
full program from basic recruit
training to maneuvers, including
cooperation with the Air Forces
in close support will require %
weeks. All frills of the old train
ing program have been cut out.
But he said that he did not
know yet what the policy would
be of returning the Guard to home
stations upon completion of their
training. assuming that the cold
war remains the same as it is now.
But he said that under such con-
dltions they would not be kept in
definitely. However. he said that
those Guardsmen who desired to
remain in service should be per-
mitted to do so.
Not Satisfied With Jets.
While he said that he believed
in unification, he said that the
Army was not satisfied entirely
with the set up at present. He felt
that the field forces should have
a voice in stating the military
characteristics of planes which
support it. He made it clear that
the field forces were not entirely
satisfied with the jet plane.
President Truman, a former
guardsman himself, was the first
Chief Executive to address the as
sociation in its rs years of exist
ence. He told the organization
that he had been pressing for
UNIT legislation from the time
that he had become a member of
Congress in 1885, and since be-
coming President had specifically
asked the Congress on eight diff !
ferent occasions to enact such
law.
He said that one of the most
disgraceful things that had hap
pened to the country was the dis
covery that "a per cent of the
young men and women were not
physically fit to serve in the armed
forces. He expressed the opinion /
that universal military program
would have prevented such a
'I&5@
President Speaks.
The President also said that he
did not believe that there would
have been a Korean crisis if some
people had not believed that this
Nation is too proud to fight. But.
he added. of course we will fight
for the right every time and he
hoped we would always be on the
right side. |
Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord of |
Baltimore, Adjutant General of
Maryland, yesterday received the
first distinguished service medal !
awarded by the association.
Gen. Reckord has served the
association, according to the &C
companying citation, for more
than 80 years. He served two
terms as president.
Council Elected.
Eight new members of the Ex-
ecutive Council were elected as
follows:
Maj. Gems. William H. Harrison,
jr., of Massachusetts,; Carl F.
Hausauer of New York, Raymond
H. Fleming of Louisiana and
George c. Finch Of Georgia, Brig.
Gems. Charles G. Sage of New
Mexico, Leonard E. Thomas of
California and Frank Allen of |
Illinois and 1t. Col. Robert L.
Gould of Maryland.
The association closed it's con-
ference by selecting Denver, Colo,
as its conference meeting place for
1852. 1t will meet next year in
New York Citv