Show Man Power Mobilization Policies Iii I Shaking Down to Universal Service r Military administration and congressional congressional I policies relative to the mobilization mobilization mobilization tion of the nations nation's man power seem at atI I I last to be crystallizing Several recent developments have apparently apparently ap ap- i i helped in the shaking-down shaking process I One major development was the caustic caustic caustic caus caus- tic report of a Senate preparedness sub- sub to the effect that the air force was guilty of greedily grabbing the It ItI cream of the nations nation's man power I I cited overcrowded conditions at the mainI main air force basic training center at Lackland Lackland Lackland Lack Lack- I land air base near San Antonio Texas as evidence Facilities there were so soI I overtaxed said Chairman Johnson of the subcommittee that indoctrination and basic training were totally abandoned and the whole air force training program program program pro pro- gram collapsed This criticism was swiftly followed by air force action canceling the recall to duty of some reserve airmen The army has also come in for sharp criticism recently on the basis of excessive excessive excessive sive utilization of man power behind the fighting lines Congressmen have been wanting to know why such a heavy proportion proportion proportion pro pro- portion of the American army is in service units and performing all kinds of jobs fobs from serving as messenger messenger messenger mes mes- boys for generals to shoveling coal They point to the fact that the Russians have only nine men in support support support sup sup- port positions for every 10 men in combat combat com corn bat divisions while the U. U S. S has 26 men for every 10 in combat units I Perhaps partly as a result of this J criticism the army has now announced that no ro more national guard divisions will be called into service unless the world situation changes and the guardsmen and reservists now in the service will be released when they have completed their current tour of duty At the same time the whole pro pro- gram of military man power mobilization mobilization mobilization tion is about to be placed on a more or less permanent basis designed to maintain our military establishment at around men and slowly change changeover over to a universal military training system The house armed services committee has given tentative approval to a change in the draft law which will permit the drafting of youths at but ut keep them out of combat until they turn 19 This lowering of the draft age plus the drafting of married under 26 and using about men previously previously previously discarded as F 4 is expected to bridge the military man power gap Present prospects therefore are that every bodied able-bodied youth must anticipate military service starting some time after he reaches the age of 18 and continuing continuing continuing ing for two years or so of active service plus perhaps six years of of service in inthe inthe inthe the reserve While Americans may not like this prospect it is difficult to see any other answer We Ve cannot meet the challenge of communism in the world without military military military mili mili- tary strength and we cannot maintain strong military forces without the equivalent equivalent equivalent equiv equiv- alent of universal service Barring the possibility of a real settlement settlement settlement set set- with Soviet Russia which seems today remote we ve might as well accept the idea of universal service Even should the situation relative to communism communism communism settle down to the point where we would not have to maintain men mew under arms we still should have universal training of some kind so that we would be ready for any eventuality The days when Minute Men could grab their flintlocks from over the fireplace fireplace fireplace fire fire- place and run out to repel the invader are gone We Ve must either be ready to protect the country when the crisis comes or risk losing everything |