Evening star., 1952-02-16
The Political Mil
Eve Of Election Action
On UNIT Bill Held Vital
FoiIure Of Congress to Pass
Measure Would Be Folly
By Gould Lincoln

Congress. on the eve of an election. /,
must stand up and be counted" on an
issue Of vital Importance actual
establishment Of universal military
training system for this country. No
member Of either Senate or House
should be frightened into opposing the
proposal by political considerations. or
by pressure groups which are against
UNIT. Some may try to escape meeting
the issue head on by declaring that
the present "emergency'-the war
In Korea and the upbuilding Of the
armed forces by means Of the draft
is an Ill time to launch the UNIT.
That argument does not hold water.
A bill to launch UNIT has already been
reported to the House by its Armed Serv.
ices Committee. The Senate Armed Serv.
Ices Committee has completed its open
hearings on the proposal Of the National
Security Training Commission and must
make its report to the Senate by Febru-
ary 81. It is confidently predicted the
Senate committee. too, win report out Q
bill to launch UNIT.
Final Bite Delayed.
Congress has gone on record in favor
Of system of universal military train
ing. But it put OF the final bite, the
actual establishment Of the training Sys.
tenn, and set up the commission to re.
port plan, which it now has before 1t.
Tt seems incredible that there can be
further puSsyfooting and side-stepping
But strong efforts will be made along
these lines. Too many labor leaders, too
many churchmen, too many educators,
Ia ovYfN Hfro oRNi1 fnyN laal Il y
voiced opposition. for reasons that seem
good to them but which do not take into
consideration the long-range defense
needs of this country and Of the young
men OF America Of this and future gen.
erations. Now is the hour-if we are not
to fail again. and permit the Nation to
run along with no adequate permanent
plan for preparedness.
What happened at the close of the Sec
ond World War? There was precipitate
rehabilitation Of the country's military
strength-and nothing was done about
establishing a system Of universal mill.
tary training to I'LL the vacuum. It was
an invitation to Communist Russia.
which went forward promptly with its
own UNIT and the upbuilding of military
strength. That's what ails us today. It
gave an opportunity to the communist
nations Of the world to adopt aggressive
tactics-tacticS which already have
drawn millions Of people within the Iron
Curtain.
Had this country gone promptly to q
system of universal military training.
and SO built up trained reserves, while
at the same time keeping large number
OF young men in training. we might have
had peace long ago, and no war in Korea
might ever have been started.
Country on Edge Of Tobcggan.
II Congress fails now to start the UNIT
system, the situation at the close of the
fighting in Korea-which eventually is
expected-the country is likely to find
itself again on the toboggan militarily.
There will be reduction in the armed
forces, following strong demands that
the huge cost of maintaining $500 900
men under arms, in the three branches
OF the service, is undermining the coun-e
try. Again, there will be vacuum, and
another emergency the call will be
Tor the men who have fought in Korea
and in the Second World War, instead Of
for the men who have been through
UNIT and have continued in the re.
serves. with certain amount of annual
training.
The Korean war finally shook this
country into preparing to meet military
aggression. The threat of aggression had
been building up ever since the close of
World War II. But Congress did little
enough about it. To President Truman
must 60 credit for carrying forward the
fight for UNIT. If his advice had been
followed early. the country might have
been IN very different-and better
situation today. Failure now to back up
the President and the recommendations
OF the National Security Training Conn
mission would be the greatest folly.