Show Kathleen Norris Says What About out Military Training Bell eU Syndicate Syndicate Features Feature t t 1 u 11 1 T i 1 7 k It is 3 only fair to 10 oUT our boys bos to 10 have hate them ready We IFe didn't want it we ive tried fried to 10 do without it but bur for 50 SQ years to come I believe tie we must maintain a huge force By KATHLEEN NORRIS ORE than American Ameri- Ameri MORE M can women have written written writ- writ JL V JL ten to ask me What I think of compulsory military service for our American boys and girls I dont don't often let political political political po po- po- po or international questions questions questions ques ques- get into this column but this is an exception and I want to answer these women in this way In Li a word Im I'm for it I think we might well emulate the Swiss system system system tem which means only a few weeks out of every year or at least we wc might make a serious study of ot that system But if we are to be drawn into Europe's eternal boundary disputes disputes disputes dis dis- dis- dis and Imperial quarrels in e each ch succeeding generation then in the name of common sense let us be ready for it and save the lives of thousands of our boys by prepared prepared- ness It was my dream for many years that by keeping the peace herself hersel America might set the pace for the world I still believe she might have done so I still believe that if European countries had known definitely and clearly that we would not interfere in their old quarrels they would have managed their affairs affairs affairs af af- fairs very differently in the last 25 years The northern civilized countries respecters of at boundaries and of individual in in- individual rights would then have gotten gotten gotten got got- ten together They would have presented presented presented pre pre- a solid wall to Germany inthe inthe in inthe the very beginning of her anti- anti Semitic purges they would have bave united a dozen weak armies into one invincible one They never did Holland England Norway Sweden France Poland Belgium Russia Russia- what mightn't they have done against Germanys Germany's growing war menace They never got together Europe Wont Won't Unite It is my sorrowful belief that they never will Their claim when any such federation is suggested is that their differing languages religions backgrounds traditions histories make it impossible This sounds funny in American ears The truth is that their varying imperial ambitions ambitions ambitions ambi ambi- cross and intercross after a thousand years of at shifting loyalties and ineffectual wars and now cannot cannot cannot can can- not be untangled even by their most brilliant statesmen So I have no hopes of them Each one will do what some wise or unwise unwise un un- wise minister believes best for her and chaos will result Meanwhile we have our own magnificent magnificent magnificent mag mag- record our long friendship with our neighbors our peaceful skies our unguarded borders We know countries may live in peace together and prosper all the more for that peace But the deadly virus of war has been scattered everywhere everywhere everywhere ev ev- now and who knows what country will next break forth with improved guns and bombs and gases for a Q surprise attack It is only fair to our boys to have them ready We didn't want it we tried to do without it but for 50 years to come I 1 believe we Y 9 4 1 r l Ironing out class ass consciousness A HARSH NECESSITY After many years o of f advocating advocating cating eating neutrality and nonintervention non non-in- Miss bliss Norris has come to the conclusion on that the only security in the tIe future f for or America lies in a large permanent force land sea and air This great army and navy will ivill mean universal military training for young men The women's auxiliary corps will require many thousands o of f girls too although a draft o of f women probably never will trill be instituted There are rc certain benefits to military training as Miss bliss Norris Norris Norris Nor- Nor ris points out that to some extent extent extent ex ex- tent offset the objections Better Better Bet- Bet ter health wider experience and broader viewpoints are valuable products by-products of army life in peacetime must maintain a sea and air force of perhaps three million men and an auxiliary force involving perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps one third one third that many women These will be our police A great city without a police force would be in the same position as a great nation with its navy sunk and its men disarmed Other nations must know that we are ready to implement implement implement ment with the guns they have forced upon us what we say in defense of at decency and honesty Might light Have e a Been Stopped If our three or four million army had been in readiness eight years ago when Germanys Germany's fanaticism broke forth in her Semitic anti-Semitic purges we might have seen the danger danger danger dan dan- ger then We might have warned her then that her maniac leader was starting on the death trail We might never have had the headlines that you and I are arc reading today Too late for that now But it is never too late to learn and I who preached non interventionism and ald neutrality for so many years ears from so many platforms see now that we weare weare weare are a l part of the great commonwealth commonwealth commonwealth common common- wealth of ot the world that we cannot cannot cannot can can- not impress upon other nations our own ideals of at friendliness friendliness ness with our neighbors that we must accept a certain degree of ot militarism until all nations are wiser and be ready to say thus far and no further when the next Hitler pops up his ugly head Military training is essential to dictatorship true But it may be a democratic thing too ironing out some of the class consciousness of our boys and girls helping them to physical fitness increasing their appreciation of home love and home comfort broadening their viewpoints in a 1 way that will be beneficial to them all their lives I haven't come to it easily But Ive I've come to it now We have to have universal military training and be ready reldy It may mean to other other other oth oth- er countries an on increasing desire for war It wont won't be that to us Were We're smarter than that |