Show Universal Training Due for Big Play l Backers Say Needed To Bolster ose rolel Foreign Policy By New J Analyst and Commentator ThIS tt JS the first of tu two o rt articles on the drive for lor universal military militar training which i is s to 10 be launched bunched J soon and what whal Is s back of that drive The first article rl cl J deals deal als with the lb potential poten effect of 01 military r Ir training on our foreign policy the lb next with wilb the program itself I. f. f As WASHINGTON As the foreign ministers' ministers conference plodded along in London American delegate Marshall probably probably probably ably frequently found himself reaching for one document to support his cause that wasn't there If it had been he would have had concrete proof to place before the world that America America Amer Amer- ica lea is not engaging in the well-known well game of bluff That Is why shortly after the second session of the congress I opens in January you will see and hear a lot more about universal military military mili mill tary training than you ever did before belore The President as requested by bythe bythe bythe the American Legion is expected to proclaim a week Januar January 6 through 12 12 and although there will be no active propaganda on the part partI I of the government departments because the administration especially the war department is going to lean over backwards to avoid the charge of try trying g to influence fI nce congress they will F do whatever they can within their prescribed omits limns But there will be a concerted pro- pro drive from many private organizations or or- The 0 American Legion 0 t is concentrating g F 10 t on an that one issue and its commander command b er J a rn rte e s a F. F o. o ONeil O'Neil has publicly publicly pub pub- Mir stated he be Is going to give his 1 whole time to it The and other veterans veterans' organizations will tall fall In line More Important p perhaps per per- e r haps will be the active participation Baukhage tion of the powerful powerful power power- ful national security committee headed by former Justice of the Supreme Supreme Supreme Su Su- Su- Su preme Court Owen J. J Roberts This committee f for formed o r m e d about two months ago is an of an earlier earlier earlier ear ear- lier citizens' citizens committee headed beaded by Justice Roberts which unsuccessfully unsuccessfully fully urged passage of a universal military training bill through the thelast thelast thelast last session of congress Like the earlier group the purpose of this national security committee composed com com- composed posed of veterans' veterans groups like the Legion and as well as the national national na na- na chamber of commerce Rotary Rotary Ro Ro- Ro- Ro tary tars clubs and the League of Women Voters Is to coordinate efforts to get universal training enacted into law The Interesting thing about the re renewed renewed hewed drive for military training as the men who have negotiated American foreign policy interpret it Is la that military function is secondary Let me explain it this way Vay Granted that the Kremlin polIcy policy pol pot icy Is a range long-range plan of active aggression whose most immediate immedi immedi- ate goal is to get control contro over as many many nations or as much disputed disputed disputed dis dis- dis- dis territory as possible and absorption of control over Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many as its chief goal Granted that communism In Europe at this writing is on the defensive and will be even more so if U the European recovery plan succeeds Meanwhile 1 the Russians will take every step short of war Granted that Russia docs does not wish to light fight a war at present Russia knows we know that But Russia knows that we not only do not want war she also knows WE COULD NOT FIGHT ONE not only because we have only a handful of troops' troops on the continent continent continent con con- ra a force greatly outnumbered outnumbered outnumbered by the Red army but because because because be be- cause we are woefully pared Therefore the Russians know they can go much further in their cold war than they otherwise otherwise otherwise oth oth- oth- oth could They can play their obstructionist game In the foreign ministers' ministers conference and in the United Nations carry carryon o on active propaganda against as us along the periphery of their satellites satellites satellites sat sat- and even ACTIVELY AID armed forces within non- non s satellite border states as they are doing In Greece The Russians feel they can take this course because they believe that the American people people peo peo- pie themselves will not back any threat to their Soviet aggression aggression aggression sion nor nor they think will America Amer Amer- America ica support any step to strengthen strength strength- en cn the military machine of the United States That is the reason the hand of our policy makers would be greatly strengthened if universal military training were established here bere because because because be be- cause It would show that America is really backing its diplomats Of 01 course the argument that thata a strong military organization prevents war because it reduces the chance of attack Is an old one But under the tho peculiar international international in in- situation which exists ex ex- exists today It Is probably more I nearly true than ever before In history Whether or not a bill bili authorizing universal military training Is passed a a. the coming session depends on I whether the people believe this whether It changes the thinking of enough members of congress so that thata a favorable majority can be ob ob- No one will make a guess now as asto asto asto to what the chances are arc but the situation mentioned above already already already al al- al- al ready has effected some changes of viewpoints The sources of support for will draw heavily from administration tion regulars unless popular opposition opposition opposition tion gives them the election year jitters Gathers Strong Support Naturally Chan Gurney of ot South Dakota chairman of the senate armed services committee and Chairman Walter G. G Andrews of New York of the house committee of the same name whose subcommittee sub commit tee under Representative Harry Towe of New Jersey produced the bill which is now pending before the house are enthusiastic s supporters of the measure And it is expected that friends of would would-be presidential candidate Dewey will fall in line since universal military training isone Is Isone Isone one of the major issues which the New York governor has endorsed If this assumption is correct Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Ives and Republican House MajorIty Majority Majority Ma Ma- Leader Halleck could be in- in eluded Senator of as- as has expressed his approval approvaL approval ap ap- ap- ap Candidate Stassen and his friends though not at this writing committed are emphatically friend friend- ly Governor Warren another avowed candidate took the trouble troubIe to fly East to address i v STASSEN DEWEY They favor javor cally the Roberts national security committee at length when it was formed There are many other prominent Senator Taft TaU is definitely opposed opposed opposed op op- op- op posed to universal military training which he groups with other controls which are objectionable objectionable obJectionable ob ob- ob- ob to him Opposition may be considered strong from the extreme right and the extreme left It is hardly likely that Representative Vito Marcantonio Marcantonio Marcantonio Marcan- Marcan tonio who has the support of Communists Communists Com in New York would vote for Outside of congress the church organizations and a large army of mothers are opposed The only way their view can be changed Ul IT supporters say is to convince them that our boys will be safer trained than untrained that in every war warwe warwe warwe we have had to have a trained citizen citizen citi citi- zen army in the end Twice while we waited to train it it thousands died and some went Into service without proper preparation |