Evening star., 1951-01-26
Lack Of UNIT Shifts
Duty 10 Youth Today,
Marshall Tells Women

MdrSndlI IenS women
Defense Secretary Marshall de-
clared last night that "our failure
to provide for universal military
training in 1920 and the tragic
repetition of that error in l945
and 1916 are largely responsible
for the call we must make on our
young men today
"It is very difficult for me to
understand the tremendous inf1u-
ence on the public of those emo
tional waves and vocal minorities
which have invariably defeated us
In efforts to make war highly inn
probable" he said. War would
have been and would still be i'm
probable, I think, if the Amerl-
cam military posture COM
manded the respect of nations
who threaten us today"
1--WE must take our chances in
the world" until the draft pro-
gram begins producing $4,000
trained men a month, the Secre-
tary said. He expressed hopes
that that figure would be reached
this summer. Meanwhile, he
added, 1T will be the last of this
month before we graduate the
first few trainees who have been
given a normal course of training"
Gen. Marshall addressed some
1900 persons at banquet which
launched the 25th Women's
Patriotic Conference on National
Defense in the Hotel Statler. Re-
presentatives from 38 national
women's groups are attending the
two-day meeting.
Asks Support for Bill.
The Defense Secretary appealed
for support of the universal mill
tary training bill now before Con-
gress.
1T provides for a system of
maintaining our military strength
through the years. particularly the
next 10, without bankrupting us
financially" he said.
Outlining what he called a few
fundamentals of American mill
tary policy, Gen. Marshall said our
two chief objectives are Ito pre-
vent war if possible and to win it
If it is thrust upon u.s." He said
another supplementary defense
appropriation. such as was voted
by Congress last fall and on New
Years Day. will be needed by
April to continue expansion mill
tarily and industrially.
In addition to increasing the de-
mands on the Selective Service
System to 10000 men month, he
said, Reserve units are steadily be-
ing called to active duty.
There are now on active mill
tary duty" he said, some six divi-
sions and over 10 other separate
combat units of the National
Guard; more than 100000 naval
and Marine reservists, and per-
sonnel from At Air Guard and Re
serve wings and organized air
units. These measures will permit
us to build rapidly to a total
strength of approximately 3.5 mil
HON men on active duty by July
Of this year"
Lacked Trained Replacements.
Because of the lack Of trained
replacements. he said Regular
Army units on duty in this coun-
try had to be stripped and sent
into the Korean campaign. But
since that drastic action still
failed to provide the division
strength in Korea urgently needed,
he added, Gen. Macarthur made
the courageous decision to assign
South Koreans in large numbers
in the ranks of American units"
I'VE have 20 training camps
now underway in the Army, only
q few in full operation. and about
one-half have just sufficient staff
to carry out the immediate task
Of training the few available
trainees assigned to them" the
Secretary asserted. '"The product
Of these camps for the Army un-
der present conditions will be
about 5000 in January, 5000 in
February and will increase to
about 35 1000 in May and we hope
will reach $4,000 in the sum-
mer."
The conference gets underway
in earnest today. Among the
speakers on the program are
Joseph Kamp, vice chairman of
the Constitutional Education
League; Benjamin Gitlow and
Mrs. Jessica Wyatt Payne. Sen
ator Mccarthy, Republican. of
Wisconsin is scheduled to address
q mass meeting tonight.