| Show AFTER SURRENDER Genera Warns Security k s Citizen By MAJ GEORGE FIELDING ELIOT There are no more hiding places in this world There is is' no safety in distance There is no security because of ocean ramparts or mountain walls We can go on trusting to those things if we like because it makes us us' more comfortable to do so or because It Is cheaper or or because we just dont don't care but but If we do we will be carrying carrying carrying car car- the treasure and freedom of this nation in a paper bag So writes Gen of the Army George C. C Marshall in his Wen Wen- nial report as chief of staff That report written with a forceful simplicity which makes it understandable to all should be read by every citizen of this republic and read and explained to our children children children-as as a matter of civic duty and and as a matter matter matter mat mat- ter of cold-blooded cold self Jelf It will be widely discussed by press and radio in public forum and in private conversation It should be It t is of vital imp importance importance or tance to us all Some will not like it for it lays upon the shoulders of the citizen the ultimate ultimate ultimate ulti ulti- mate responsibility for his se se se- Indeed that Is the underlying underlying underlying under under- lying motif of the whole report This is your country citizens says the great commander commander- you made It you have fought and bled for it ft now it is up to you to preserve it it Only you youcan youcan youcan can do this It cannot be done for you without your wholehearted wholehearted wholehearted whole whole- hearted cooperation without your sacrifice and your constant vigilance It cannot be done for you if you place your comfort your well ordered ways of life Ufe your prejudices and your greed before the safety of your coun coun- try It can only be done for you by public servants who have the support of your confidence and your continued Interest Again and again the chief of f faW staff aW points out how even the conduct of or t the tle e evar war var just ended was hampered or influenced by public clamor of one kind or another another s The bitter discussions of the second front of the inferiority of American tanks of the exorbitant demands of of the army for man power and more man power of or the use of year old draftees in cOmbat combat cOm cOm- corn com bat of the transfers transfer's of man many sold soldiers from other arms to the the infantry of the starving of ot the Pacific theater In favor of the war in Europe Europe all all these are fresh tresh in our memories we re recall recall recall re- re call them clearly and we will re recall recall recall re- re call them with some sense of disquiet when we have read Gen Marshalls Marshall's report The citizen citizen citizen cit cit- cit cit- izen does have a responsibility for the conduct of a war and he does have a responsibility for a sound military and foreign policy policy policy pol pol- pol- pol icy which may prevent another war He cannot just settle back and take It easy Of course there Is a reaction now Of course we would all aU like to think that with victory comes rest and peace and release from anxiety It will annoy some of us to be told that victory has only brought us new burdens new bili ties Yet it is so The very instruments which won the victory victory victory vic vic- tory for us have made it necessary necessary necessary essary that we find not only means to control them but means to be secure in our homes and our lives until the control system has proven itself de- de de de- Gen Marshall affirms his hope that we shall have a secure and lasting peace But he is also concerned with the survival of this nation in the meanwhile and until the world organization tion don has been built tested and found reliable He speaks with some bitterness and considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able apprehension about the defensive idea which still dominated much of ot our think think- I ing Ing- He likens it to the Maginot Magl Magi not psychology which ruined France Today it takes the form of saying that security lies es in scientific research and the making making mak mak- ing of newer and better scion scion- devices This puts the burden hurden on a afew afew afew few technicians and leaves the rest of us free to pursue our own devices It Is a comfortable doctrine It is also a false and hence a dangerous doctrine The next war If it it ever comes will not be made by a few bespectacled bespectacled bespectacled professors pressing a row of pushbuttons War Var and se security security security se- se against war will require men as well as machines not an old-fashioned old mass army but trained men by the million nevertheless They may not all allbe allbe be trained to handle rifles or machine guns but the security of ot the nation requires the services services services ices of virtually all bodied able-bodied male citizens within the effective effective effective tive military age group whatever what what- over ever the weapons they wield Technology does not eliminate elimInate eliminate elim elim- the need for men in war As a matter of fact of proven fact it Increases that need Once again it is up to the cit cit- izen He can say he can make himself believe what some are urging upon him that th the atomic bomb and the rocket have haye made universal military training obsolete Or he can take take- the contrary advice of the man who has just been the chief architect architect architect ar ar- ar- ar of victor victory in our greatest greatest great great- est war warThe The fhe one will be easy for a time t th other Will Jill not beso be beso beso so easy pasy But the result of at theone tho the one will be destruction or slavery in the end end the result of the other will wilI be security as as far as human foresight can provide for security |
