Evening star., 1952-01-25
Educator Blasts
UNIT Proposals
AS No Solution
Dr.. HeuId Says Council
Plan Is Complication
To Munpower Needs

10 MunpoWer Needs
The powerful American Council
On Education today heard q lead
ing educator blast proposals for
Universal Military Training as no
solution TO the military manpower
situation and style the plan only
another complication.
The speaker was DR.. Henry T.
Heald, president of the Illinois In
stitute of Technology and chan
cellor-elect Of New York Univer-
sity.
DR.. Heald was one of the speak,
ers at the opening meeting of a
two-day session called by the
council to discuss its controversial
report, Education and National
Security" issued last Sunday.
This report cited strong objections
to the present system of draft de-
ferments for college students and
already has drawn the fire of Se-
lective Service Director Lewis B.
Hershey.
The council also heard its presi-
dent, DR.. Arthur S. Adams, call
for a national policy on education
that would be ''incisive and forth
right as well as broad and COM
prehenSive.
Editor Canham Speaks.
Another speaker, Erwin D. Cam
ham, editor of the Christian Sci
e1ce Monitor, discussed the world
situation and the challenge now
facing the United States in its
efforts to rally the free world.
He declared:
'The real challenge in the world,
1t seems to me, lies not now in the
Russians, but in the failure of the
United States to communicate our
real significance to the peoples
who ought to be our friends and
colleagues in the effort to insure
peace"
A peace program, he said, de-
pended on these elements:
The largest possible degree of
coordination of the diplomatic,
military and economic policies Of
the free world; a maximum effort
to decrease the poverty and in
crease the standards of living Of
the less economically developed
parts Of the world; a more effec-
tive communication to men every
where of the achievements and
poteutialitieS Of free society, and
concrete steps to eliminate the
gap between the avowals and prac-
tices Of the free world, thus eStab-
fishing its; sound faith and helping
to replace cynicism with con-
fidence and hope.
Mr.. Canham was one Of the
authors Of the report issued
Sunday.
Asks Clear Cut Policy.
DR.. Adams said the absence Of
such a policy was causing con.
fusion. He said a clear-cut policy,
not only for the next few years
but for a long period of time, was
needed if the military manpower
needs of the country are to be
adjusted properly to other needs.
In blasting universal military
training, DR.. Heald was not
speaking for the Council. The
group has not taken a stand on
the question because of the di-
|vergent views of its members. The
Council currently is polling it's
+members-most of the country's
institutions Of higher education
to find out how they stand.
DR.. Heald declared:
Universal military training j.. &.
provides no solution to the mill.
|tary manpower problem as long
as it is necessary to have two
years or more compulsory military
service"
IF it is true that we shall need
an active military force of 3,5 mil
lion men for the next several
years, it is hard to see any basis
upon which UNIT could be made
Effective In the near future.
Another Complication.
II Is reasonable to believe that
UNIT might provide a certain ele-,
ment Of security for the country !
when the international situation
once more makes it possible to
reduce the standing army to a
figure that can be maintained on
a voluntary basis. Until that time
comes, UNIT would only add an
other complication to the already
difficult manpower problem.
UNIT legislation should not be,
made part of the present plans,
which are difficult enough in
themselves. The merits of UNIT
should be considered much later
in the light Of conditions that
then exist.
National security is the only
justification for UNIT, and any
attempt in the next few years to
force it through Congress as a
permanent national policy under
the guise Of contribution to the
defense of the country is mislead-
ing and confusing"
DR.. Heald said Congress should
consider instead the alternate pro-
posals which the Councils report
suggested.
Alternates Proposed.
These were:
/. All physically at men be re.
quired to serve, with induction at
18, but that a national commits
sion be established to postpone
certain men pursuing specialized
education.
CD All men be required to serve
upon the completion of their ed
ucation. with some agency to de-
termine the limits, of the indi-
viduaPs education.
90 All men be required to
serve at a fixed age with the ex-
ception Of the RoTC members.
The report was prepared by the
executive committee of the Coun-
ell together with the Educational