Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-05-20
Leaders Call on U. 5.
To Bolster Defenses;
Truman Backs Draft

the Nation today to bulwark It's
defenses against q possible Rus
sian atomic attack in observing
the first annual Armed Forces
Day.
President Truman and Defense
Secretary johnson touched of the
Nationwide speech-making last
night with addresses before a huge
banquet at Hotel Statler.
There would have been no cold
war" had Congress needed his plea
for universal training program
in l945. Mr.. Truman declared as
both he and Mr.. johnson urged
extension of the draft law which
is scheduled to expire June ~.
Emphasizing the need for
strong armed forces by raising his
hand and closing it, the PreSi-
dent said:
Certain people in the world
only understand the fist."
And he remarked at another
point that peace could not be
maintained for Is minutes In
Washington If all the policemen
were fired.
Bomb May Speed Peace.
The President said that war
casualties had declined in pro-
portion to the development OF
weapons and added that in the
long run the atomic bomb would
be more important for the peace
Of the world than for its deStruc-
ton"
Declaring that United States
armed forces were being developed
for peace. Mr.. Truman said that
Il hope that from this time for
ward, we will be approaching q
better settlement of the misunder-
standings in the world and that
when we finally wind up we will
have peace in the world"
He added that he hoped that
wouldn't be too long in the future.
Washington's Plea Cited.
Mr.. Truman recalled George
Washington's message calling for
universal military service in 1889.
in which the first President said
that every American owed a debt
to the Republic and that he should
take a certain amount Of training
so that he could serve the Re-
public.
The Congress at that time de-
cided that Gen. Washington
didn't know what he was talking
about" Mr.. Truman said.
He then recalled his own pro-
posal for a universal training pro-
gram in 1945. And Congress then
decided. he added. that he didn't
know what he was talking about.
II am saying to YOU" he de-
clared, that had we supplemented
that training program. there
would have been no cold war. 1t
has taken a long time for the
people in authority behind the
Iron Curtain to find out that this
great Republic of ours in founded
on the right foundation"
Congress has consistently re-
fused to pass universal military
training program. but is now con-
sideRing extension of the selective
service law which was passed at
Mr.. Truman's request two years
ago.
johnson Calls for Defense.
Mr.. johnson told the assem-
blage. made up largely of uni
formed personnel of all the serv-
ices. that the Defense Department
was working to build up defense
"of such formidability as to con-
vince possible aggressor that we
cannot be beaten quickly on a hit
and-run basis"
But. he said, there is a most
compelling need" for extending
the draft law to bolster the morale
of European countries who SO far
have held communism at bay"
THE shadow Of sprawling i'm.
perialism creeps dangerously close
to their borders" the secretary
declared.
Gen. Bradley. the Joint Chiefs
Of Staff chairman, warned in q
San Francisco speech that a Rus
sian atomic attack was possible
"in a few years" and called for
a bold new program" to bolster
defenses against the "two-headed
monster" Of Soviet Communism.
The theme that the cold war
is getting steadily warmer ran
through many Of the speeches of
other top military leaders as they
urged preparedness.
While Mr.. johnson reported that
the armed forces were in "a
healthy state Of preparedness"
Gen. Bradley urged the granting
OF standby emergency powers.
Ingram Predicts War.
In Indianapolis Admiral Jonas
H. Ingram. wartime Atlantic Fleet
commander. now retired, declared
that war was inevitable within 2h
years "the way we are going now"
Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Air
Force chief of staff, cautioned in
a Detroit speech that the Air
Force was too weak to press an
about air war more than a few
months, and added that the air.
craft industry was in no position
to replace heavy combat losses.
Admiral William F. Halsey. IT.,
wartime Pacific Fleet task force
commander, told a Philadelphia
audience that push button war
is not around the corner" and
insisted that the ordinary fight
ing man on land, sea and in the