Evening star., 1953-05-02
The Political Mill
Presidents Program
Makes Sound Sense
Such Proposals Might Have
Prevented World War II
By Gould Lincoln

President Eisenhower's military pro-
gram makes sense. The indispensable
ingredient is preparedness. not for this
year or next but for all the years. It's
the kind of program, though of course
different in detail, for which many
have pleaded in the past-without sue
cess. It's the kind of program which. II
adhered to after World War I, might
have deferred If not prevented World
War II. And the cost of adequate pre-
paredness in the years between the
close of World War and the start Of
World War II would have been mighty
small compared to the price America
has paid in lives and money. 1t is the
kind Of program that may postpone
indefinitely third world war.
The President has hitched to the poll
icy of military preparedness policy
of economic stability. The two. he has
pointed out, must run in double harness
If this country and its allies Of the free
world are to survive. He has said fur
ther that the policy of defense and its
program will not be 'tied to any magic
critical year." but will be based on a
Sounder theory that "very real danger
not only exists this year, but may con-
tinue to exist for years to come; that
our strength, which is already very
real, must now be made stronger, not
by inefficient and expensive starts and
stops. but by steady. continuous inn
provement."
Would Add Strength.
The Presidents program, which
would bolster our military strength and
preserve our economic strength, is CAL
culated to give Soviet Russia and it's
Communist allies pause. There has been
a theory in those quarters that the
United States must give up military
strength or face disaster on the eco
nomic side of the ledger. The program
at the same time should give encour-
agement to our allies in the hot war
in Korea and in the cold war elsewhere.
President Eisenhower does not give
up hope that conditions may become
so changed that huge military expendi-
lures may not some day be unnecessary.
He comments that security based upon
heavy ornaments is way of life that
has been forced upon us and upon our
allies" We hate it. he added, but so
long as the present threat from the
Communist nations persists, I'VE will
carry these burdens with dedication
and determination" And finally he
said, Our hope and our prayer is that
this dedication and determination will
bring about world condition when we
can once again return to the arts of
peace, which we have always and will
always cherish above all other arts"
Men and Weapons Needed.
For the present and perhaps for
years to come, the military strength Of
this country will demand men and
weapons on large scale. The selec-
tive draft to which the country now
looks for manpower, it is believed by
members of the congressional Armed
Services Committees, must be con-
tinued. Under existing law it is due
to expire in June, 1855. Under the
Presidents program-unless there is
great change in world conditions in
the next two yearS-the draft will
have to be extended indefinitely. Ger
tainly this is true as long as we have
armed forces in Korea, in Germany and
in other foreign places. Voluntary en-
liStments, it has been shown, cannot
fill the requirements. When the present
draft act was written it was intended
to cover an emergency" Congress
went on record as favoring a system
of universal military training-a sys-
tenn which was to become effective
when the emergency requiring the
draft had passed.
It is the hope of some members Of
the Armed Services Committees that
eventually it will be possible to go
through such transition-from the
draft for military service to military
training. with strong military reserves
constantly building. Whatever is done,
however. they are strongly opposed to
returning to a state of unpreparedneSs.
How right they are!