Show NEws BEHIND 1 h hI II II I I I THE By Aut LOIN J Released by Western Newspaper Union MUST BE A MILITARY NOT A MILITARISTIC NATION V WASHINGTON ASHINGTON A A strong generally generally generally gener gener- ally thoughtful editorial writer who is against the Roosevelt particularly particular particular- ly Mrs Roosevelt regime spoke out in several metropolitan papers recently recently recently re re- re- re Note I think the rad radicals cals called him minded fascist-minded during the thelast thelast thelast last campaign although the charge was of a political nature and therefore therefore therefore there there- fore not intended to be believed literally literally literally lit lit- There is only one way to assure assure assure as as- sure ourselves of military strength whenever needed That way consists of a system of compulsory compulsory compulsory com com- military training That is simply not true There are many ways of assuring ourselves ourselves ourselves our our- selves of military strength whenever whenever whenever when when- ever needed A logical straightforward ward way consists of putting military military military mili mili- tary training into the high schools and colleges to develop and keep trained the necessary officer personnel personnel personnel per per- and enlarging and modernizing ing the national guard giving it weapons including airplanes and tanks artillery ammunition and commissary to develop a private personnel That would be the more efficient way because it would be constant always up-to-date up always ready to toh h handle the latest implements of warfare warfare warfare war war- fare scientifically and efficiently although although although al al- al- al though there are of course many other things which must be done including the maintenance of a greater permanent military inventors inventors' inventors inventors' inventors inventors' tors' tors council with laboratories continuance continuance continuance con con- of West Vest Point and Annapolis lis at war size or larger and an alert ever watchful and efficient war department to see that we do donot donot donot not fall asleep to dangers from with with- out These are democratic ways The taking of a boy from his home work and career for a year of service in the army is isa isa isa a Prussian method instituted by bythe bythe bythe the Prussian militarists after the war of 1870 It must be an inefficient way of developing an arm army because the Prussians have never won with it nor has hasit I it produced results in France and some other nations which took it up A RADICAL VIEWPOINT On the opposite side of the same fence a radical editorial writer in ina a metropolitan daily I think he is the very one who called my above friend minded fascist and certainly certain certain- ly he thinks the Roosevelt regime and particularly the Mrs Roosevelt regime is just about right on everything everything everything ev ev- ev- ev wrote recently The only onh- way this country can get a auay dY from maintaining maintain maintain- ing a very large army and developing developing developing de de- de- de a militaristic caste system system system tem after this war is by compulsory compulsory compulsory com com- military training Is this not the strangest collection of bedfellows upon any world mattress mattress mattress mat mat- tress Radicals conservatives people people peo pee pie who think each other fascists or communists Mr Roosevelt and the chamber of commerce PM and the N. N Y Herald Tribune Mrs Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt and the fascist minded all allI enjoying this same delusion delusion in in I For there is no more truth in saying saying saying say say- ing this is the only way to avoid a large army than that it is the only way to maintain an army It would be a large army of more than thana a million youths 17 to 21 years old a new large army each year But it would hardly be what what we would call a skilled army We Ve would Via have ro tn to maintain maintain in another one rma f for u 6 older men for defense We would have to have an air force constantly alert a corps bent on nullifying the effect of rocket bombs and what other new weapons daily a whole war department of just as much strength as if we did not have compulsion compulsion com com- in hi training These trainees would only be reserves re re- re- re serves serves reserves reserves that might otherwise otherwise otherwise other other- wise be obtained more efficiently by bya a real national guard As a friend of mine puts it We must be a military but not a militaristic nation and we need a national guard which literally must be a guard of the nation But a great many other people are saying daily in th the papers a year of national service would cure juvenile delinquency promote youth youth- health make better citizens These I Iare are all nonmilitary excuses for a military step which lacks sound military military mil mil- I grounds mil mil-I I This is a new element which has entered into the private discussions here It will become important only 1 as developments from Europe dir direct ct and will ill simmer and die ii those developments become more satisfactory I For the present I would say congress con con- gr gross gress ss is dividing into two camps Those who say the Atlantic Charter was a war ideal which hardly could have proved acceptable to Russia And those who suspect the people will be shocked to find now wax wai I hopes have been taken so lightly |