Newspapers / The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, … / Jan. 17, 1946, edition 1 / Page 7
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How Do People Stand on Military Training? Editors Report on Their Communities By AL JEDLICKA WKU Neva Aaalyst. E* IFTY - SEVEN per cent of * country newspaper editors polled in a nationwide survey by Western Newspaper Union favor compulsory peacetime military training, with 57.7 per cent of these approving of Presi dent Truman's proposal for one year of service for 18- to 20-year old male youths. Thirty-seven per cent opposed compulsory training and 6 per cent remained undecided. In the editors' report on prevail ing sentiment for compulsory train ing in their communities, however, 44.8 per cent of the people stood against it, with 42.8 per cent approv ing and 12.4 per cent evenly divided. With every section of the country heard from, southern editors showed the greatest support for compulsory training, with 66.6 per cent for it. Following were the North with 59.7 per cent; the East with 57.6 per cent and the West with 50 per cent. Southern editors approving com pulsory training also showed the strongest preference for Mr. Tru man's service program, 77.7 per cent being for it, while 58 per cent in the West favored it, 56.7 per cent in the North and 40 per cent in the East. With 56 per cent of the people re ported backing compulsory training, southern communities also were far out in front for the proposal, with the West following with 41.9 per cent and then the North with 40.9 per cent, and the East with 37 per cent. Timely in view of pending con gressional action on the President's measure for one year of military service for physically, morally and mentally fit 18- to 20-year-old youths of the nation, the WNU poll served to reflect grassroots sentiment on the all - important proposal. It seemed to justify congressional cau tion arising from strong, popular aversion to compulsory training, while also reflecting advanced ac ceptance by professional thinking. Because editors were asked to gauge public opinion in their com munities instead of actually polling it, however, some ' discrepancy might exist in their judgment of the sentiments prevailing in their local ities. Since the country newspaper editor, of all persons, perhaps is the closest to the people about him, on the other hand, his observations may be considered fairly accurate. Though the editors appeared out of step, rural community sentiment ran in line with the recent positions of the three great farm organiza tions on postwar service: The Farm Bureau favoring a broad program of physical fitness in schools and land grant colleges; the Grange pro posing similar preparation and army pay sufficient to induce volunteers, and the Farmers Union advocating some form of combined civilian training modeled after the National Youth administration. The WNU poll contrasted mark edly with other nation-wide tabu lations embracing the large urban and country districts. The final edi tors' count of 57 per cent for com pulsory training differed from the reported over-all figure of 71 per cent for professional people in other surveys, while the community count of 44.8 per cent against contrasted with,other findings of 35 per cent against. North In supporting both military con scription and President Truman's legislation with some modification Linwood C. Rodgers of the Lumi nary of Lockwood, Mo., wrote: "The people of this community do not favor such legislation. They have many of their boys back home and want to keep them. The war is over and they do not want to an ticipate another one. "In my own personal opinion, the United States should adopt compul sory peacetime training. We served in the army and saw inadequately trained men thrown into combat, and that isn't good. We believe it is pretty well agreed that another war is inevitable and we can't stave it off by not training our men to be in readiness; in fact, that will only invite it sooner. "I'd say that six months would be enough for the 18- to 20-year-olds to spend in training, for the basics will be all the trainee will receive in most cases anyway. In cases of extreme hardships . . . boys should be excused." Agreeing with both proposals. Bryant B. Voris of the Republican of Waterloo, 111., said: "Certainly there can be no harm in military training in America. The brass bats, of course, must be kept under control and must not possess the attitude 'the king can do no wrong. , . "I do not believe that compulsory training was the cause of war in other countries where it was in ef fect. It was more the propaganda of 'Gott mit uns' and 'Deutschland uber alles' . . . which will not ac company our military training if it is American training. "... If we do have war, I would rather know our. son had a year's training to back him up rather than the hurried training some of our boys bad in this war without being ripe for it. . . ." Favoring a modified form of post war service, Dan W. Johnson of The Times of iTsnhoe, Minn., de clared: V "The United States needs some pared cost us many extra lives . . . It is not going to hurt any healthy boy to learn the manual of arms. . Backing compulsory training, Carl Portman of the Record-Register of Coalgate, Okla., declared: "We would leave to the army, navy and air corps officials the type and extent of military training. But we would emphasize the importance of physic aPculture and discipline in any training program which Amer ica might adopt, with particular stress on the building of strong bod ies and clean minds for our young men." Basing most of his opposition to compulsory service on moral grounds, O. D. Parks of The Graph ic of Nashville, N. C., said: "I do not think boys 18 to SO years of age should be thrown into the en vironment of peacetime army life, especially with the liquor and beer situation what it is. "I am all for a large standing army and for military training for for poor physical condition, it would seem to indicate that the necessity is for a better standard o( national health, which goes back to childhood and infancy. . . . "Would approve a regular stand ing army of greater size and a powerful navy by making volun tary enlistments as attractive as pos sible. "Compulsory training would sub ject too many young men to bureau cratic rule and tend to develop a military dictatorship. ." West In supporting both compulsory military training and President Tru man's plan, D. W. Robertson of the Searchlight of Calbertsoa, Moot., said: "It is my opinion that a man can not learn the fundamentals of mod ern warfare in less than one year. ^Crnr?i . ^ ^. 1,^*77. iQs> l f" |NT, In. CtmmmMtt ,/S^> No 48. C? * J Communities I " 1??? *??-. Divided. 11. Editors /odf .41.9.. | H? ?? ? 40.09 Ug .* )" Jy? 57.6 [ No .. . 43.3 1 S. DiT'?W 1008 Vl ? I *\ No 41.3 DivkW.. 14.8 VYO. I J ;HCy /C"~ 0.1 ( ? | . Editors ?_} 7"' "? "..a!^ I O ; * Edrton ! fc-| * y? 59.7 ; \ >\ y? 50. I- No .... 39.3 . ILL?; ^ I C *? No 37.5 COLO. I Undodded 1.0 *? : X I Undecided18.5 | ? l''? V 1 f I '.nm *" \ ,'^#12. N.MEX.I Communities Editors \ / 1?_? S I y?s 56. Yes 66.6 ? V ! I No 32. No 22.2 f \ ! . 81 ? TE Divided... 12. Undecided 11.2 form of military training, but it doesn't need a year's training for all males physically qualified at the teen-age level. "Basic training in some form could be thrown in with high school or college ROTC, with perhaps a month's summer camp each year for your finished reserve. "But for the standing army, there's only one thing?regulars. Make the air arm strong and make it sufficiently inviting that enough youth will choose it as a career. Of course, to make it inviting will mean cutting out some of the caste that permeates our present military es tablishment. . . ." Declaring that we won the war because of our superior productive capacity and technical skill, Clar ence V. Smazel of the Press of St. Louis, Mich., advocated a five-point program instead of postwar service: "What we really need to do." he said, "is build one department of national defense under a civilian board of experts in fields useful to war; eliminate the war colleges of West Point and Annapolis with their class distinctions, privileges and traditionalism; make our economy function in peace so that we can always have a margin of productiv ity ever anyone else . . . for war; establish secret nests of atomic bombs so that if anybody tried to eliminate our power by suddenly attacking our productive centers we would be able to hit back fast with more and better . . . and have men who know most and behave best in charge, at any level, of every mili tary activity." South In calling for compulsory training under the President's plan, W. E. Chapman of the Enterprise of Indi anola, Miss., wrote: "Our people, as a rule, favor com pulsory military peacetime training and we are hoping that the congress will pass such a law at an early date. "Our teen-age boys have much idle time on their hands and you know the old saying, 'idleness is the devil's workshop.' Asserting that the old adage "a stitch in time saves nine," H. W. Fleer of the Democrat of Waverly, Tenn., wrote the lesson should be ap plied now. . . Some argue that those na tions that are everlastingly prepar ing always meet -defeat," he said. "Not so . . . England prepared and so did France and they won out a second time. "The fact that we were unpre our youth. I think this training should be intensive but should be combined with the boy's schooling . . . where he is under some meas ure of moral guidance." Suggesting that military training be made part of the educational cur ricula rather than a compulsory mil itary program, Katie B. Beauchamp of The Magnet of Taylorsville, Ky., advised: "Make it competitive and boys will not have to be compelled to take it. It could be given somewhat as basketball and football?more athletic than military?and would reach more boys and those who need it most." East Advocating modified military training, Russell A. Wheelock of The Shopper of St. Johnsbnry, VI., wrote: "By all means we should be armed, ready and willing to fight when our way of life is threatened. Therefore, military education in our schools and colleges?yes! "If we are smart enough to cher ish and control the atomic bomb, no country will war with us. Navies, armies, air forces are outmoded, and a waste of taxpayers' money. Money placed on armies would be spent to better advantage educating future scientists to cope with the enemy's weapons. A strict control of Japan and Germany will pre vent wars. A strong international policy by America will back up world peace." Supporting a modified program, C. D. Eldredge of the Courier of Winehendon, Mass., said: "For young men about to continue their education after completing high school, I feel that a year spent in continuous military training would be a decided mistake. . . . Let the young man who is accepted for college combine his education with the military, and in that way not interrupt his program. It would not necessarily have to be an ROTC but something along the National Guard lines. "In case of a young man who had no qualifications for college or in clination to continue his education, a "hitch" in the National Guard would do the trick ? with little chance of the youth of the nation becoming too'military minded. . . ." Believing the compulsory training to be counter to principles of free dom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. M. E. Sunderland of The Record of Waterhnry, Vt., declared: "A public health program would be more to the point. With so many men rejected by selective service If a lesser period is adopted, our boys will be going into battle only half trained, and this is as bad as no training at all. . . . The only way to avoid war in the future is to have a large enough army, sufficiently trained so that no nation will dare to attack us, and then don't go out looking for trouble. "We have been fortunate in the last two wars to have time to train an army, but when the next one comes, time will not be allowed for training an army. Really, the only way to stop wars is to do as two senators have been brave enough to suggest, and that is to form an in dividual state of the world. . . ." Urging a modified program, Ed gar R. Simpson of the News of St. George, Utah, wrote: "It is my observation that many people think of peacetime military training as a program of physical education and disciplinary training, which they favor. Most do not, how ever, seem anxious to see boys of 18 taken away from their homes, and opinions of returning service men point up some plan whereby boys could have the advantages of discipline, physical training and ed ucation along some lines that would benefit them in peacetime activities as well as for wartime preparation, as on a college campus or something of the sort in their home state or area." Stating that while he didn't think it would worry the President, T. D. Caverly of the Valeria a of Valier, Moat., disagreed with Mr. Truman's training legislation. Said he: "We believe it would be a mighty good thing for every boy and girl in the country to put in a year under strict supervision as to hours and habits, to be trained in calisthenics and be under the direction of the best doctors during that time so the doctors could observe any physical trouble and correct it- But we be lieve this should not be done at the exact age of 18." Declaring that the government should adopt a policy of encourag ing science to develop the most modern materiel combat means, W. L. Rader of the Cearler of Pelsos, Mont., thought: "... H is useless to draft a man for a year for just ordinary military training. This would mean nothing the way war would be carried on in the future and would just be an enormous ex pense. "It seems to me what should be ? done is to have a few roving am bassadors that really keep an eye on what is going on in other coun tries. And when they come back and make a report?like Lindbergh did to England and the U. S.?we should do something about it...." THESE FELLOWS ARE AGAINST IT, AND THEY GIVE THE REASONS WHY Paul Metzgar publisher of the Fsram of Eldoa, Iowa, commented: "It is my opinion that the military could and should be made attractive enough ... to draw on the right kind of men seeking a career. In this way a .sufficient armed force of trained intelligent men could be maintained at ail times . . . and a sizable reserve could be retained by liberalizing benefits for men in that status. "I personally oppose compulsory \ military training because I do not believe a young man drafted against his own will in peacetime is going to leam enough to make him valuable in a year. "Industry could never survive if we depended upon the same quality of men who (as a whole) are satis fied wita a military career under our present standards of compen sation and prospects of advance ment. . . In bucking compulsory training, L. M. Audntsh of The Echo of Green Sprints, Ohio, wrote: "The more we think of it, the more we are convinced that the uni versal peacetime military training program is a dud. . . . Any move to build armies is bound to turn into a contest among nations to see which can build the greatest, most powerful army. This one point alone can Just about upset any 'na tional defense' angle put up by the militarists oI the world." i Opposing all forms of military I training. J. H. Cramer of the Joer ? sal of Blaise. Wash., said: "A few young officers in the serv ; ice seem to believe that one year : of compulsory service should be re i quired of all young men. "But to me, this ia only another move toward socialism or nhziism. : An army composed of all young men with trained officers naturally does not want to be trained unless they have a chance to light." Classic Shirtwaist Frock Com fortable Aoimrii x. llliriwajsi iroCK lO give you a "band-box" look. The shoulder yoke forms shoulder sleeves that are comfortable and practical. The gored skirt is easy to make and flattering. ? ? ? ? Pattern No. 1380 comes to sizes 14. If. If. ft; 40. 42. 44 and 4f. Size M needs yards ot 35-Inch or 3li yards of 34-inch material. IKWWO Oiai PATTERN DEPT. 11S0 Sixth dee. New Task. N. T. 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The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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Jan. 17, 1946, edition 1
7
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