Show Universal Training bi Due for Big Play y Backers Say Needed To Bolster Foreign Policy By News N ws Analyst and Commentator This Ibi is the first of IWO o two articles l on the th drive for universal military training which article c deals with ith the Ib is Its to fro bt be b launched soon soo and ad what lh is il back of that thaI drive The Th first potential o effect Dc of military training on our foreign or ign policy the Ib next m with the Ib program itself WASHINGTON ASHINGTON V As As the foreign ministers' ministers conference plodded along in London American delegate Marshall probably frequently found himself reaching for one support his cause that wasn't there If it had been he would have had concrete proof to place before the world that America is not engaging in the well- well known game of bluff That is why shortly after the second session of the congress opens in January you will see and hear a lot more about universal military train train- training training training ing than you ever did before The President as requested by the Amer Amer- American American American ican Legion is expected to proclaim a week January 6 through 12 and although there will be no active propaganda on the part of the govern govern- government government government ment departments because the administration especially the war depart depart- department department ment is going to lean over backwards to avoid the charge of trying to in in- influence influence influence fluence congress they will do whatever they can within their prescribed I limits But there will be a concerted pro pro- drive from many private or or- The American Legion is concentrating on that one issue and its command command- commander 4 f er James Jam e s F. F FON SS S ONeil O'Neil ON eH has pub pub- publicly publicly puba a stated he is isto going to give his hist whole time to it t w The and other veterans' veterans organizations will fall in line More important p per per- perhaps e r haps will be the Baukhage active participation tion of the power power- powerful powerful powerful ful national security committee headed by former Justice of the Su Su- Supreme Supreme Su- Su Supreme preme Court Owen J. J Roberts This committee formed for f o r m e d about two months ago is an of an ap ear ear- earlier earlier earlier lier citizens' citizens committee headed by Justice Roberts which unsuccessfully 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 S national security committee com com- composed composed composed posed of veterans' veterans groups like the Legion and as well as the na na- national national na- na national chamber of commerce Ro Ro- Rotary Rotary Rotary tary clubs and the League of Women Voters is to coordinate efforts to get universal training enacted into law The interesting thing about the re re- renewed renewed re- re renewed drive for military training as the men who have negotiated American foreign policy interpret it is that military function is secondary Let me explain it this way Granted that the Kremlin pol pol- policy policy policy icy is a range long-range plan of active aggression whose most immedi immedi- immediate ate goal is to get control over as many nations or as much dis dis- disputed disputed dis- dis disputed territory as possible and absorption of control over Ger Ger- Germany Germany Germany many as its chief goal Granted that communism in Europe at this writing is on the defensive and will be even more so if the European recovery plan succeeds Meanwhile the Russians will take every step short of war Granted that Russia R does not wish to fight a war at present Russia knows we know that Cut But ut Russia knows that we not only do not want war she also aiso knows WE COULD NOT FIGHT ONE not only because we have only a handful of troops on the con con- continent continent continent a force greatly outnumbered outnumbered outnumbered by the Red army but be be- because because because cause we are woefully pared Therefore the Russians knew they can go much further in I their cold war than they oth oth- otherwise otherwise I could They can play I their obstructionist game in the I foreign ministers' ministers conference I aOl anti in the United Nations carry carryon I on active propaganda against us along the periphery of their sat sat- satellites satellites satellites and even ACTIVELY Y AID armed forces within non- non satellite border berder states states states' as they are doing in Greece The Russians feel they can take this course because beca use they believe that the American peo peo- people people plc themselves will not back any threat to their Soviet aggression a aggression gres- gres sion nor they think will wiH Amer Amer- America America America ica support any step to strength strength- strengthen en 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 be be- because because because cause it would show that America Americ is really backing its diplomats Of or course the argument that thata a strong military organization prevents war because it reduces the chance of or attack is an old cne But under the peculiar in in- international iu international situation which ex ex- exists exists ex- ex exists today it is probably more nearly true than ever before in history Whether or not a bill authorizing universal military training is passed at the coming session depends on 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 aa asto to what the chances are but the situation mentioned above al al- already already al- al already ready has effected some changes ch 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 South Dakota chairman of the senate armed services committee and Chairman Walter G. G Andrews of New York of the house committee of the whose sub commit subcommittee same name tee under Representative Harry Towe of New Jersey produced the bill which is now pending before the house are enthusiastic supporters of the measure And it is expected that friends of would-be would presidential candidate Dewey will fall in line since universal military training is isone isone isone one of ot the major issues which the New York governor has endorsed If this assumption is correct Sena Sena- Senator Senator Senator tor Ives and Republican House Ma Ma- Majority Majority Leader Halleck could be in in- included Senator of Mas Mas- Massachusetts Massachusetts has expressed his 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 to fly East to address l A STASSEN DEWEY DEVEY They T hey favor U IT cally the Roberts national security committee at length when it was formed There are many other prominent Senator Taft is definitely op op- opposed opposed opposed posed to universal military training which he groups with other controls which are ob ob- objectionable objectionable ob- ob objectionable to him Opposition may be considered strong from the extreme right and the extreme left It is hardly likely that Representative Vito Marcan- Marcan Marcantonio Marcantonio Marcantonio tonio who has the support of Com Com- Communists Communists Communists in New York would vote for Outside of congress the church organizations and a large army of I mothers are opposed The only way their view can be changed 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 citi citi- citizen citizen citizen zen army in the end Twice while we waited to train it thousands died and some went into service without proper preparation I |