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nt ae eee ee tee NR NS lt ee er SRN ie le eg Ta ka i The New York State Commission snid: The kind of obedience that te fostered in military Waining is not the hind that dssts. It is a temporary subjection of the will, which often leads to preater dix obedience when military pressure is remaved, The New Jersey Stale Commission on Military Train- ing in High Schools reported: I is a psychological fallacy to suppose that obedience to military authority, indeed, obedience exacted under any Peculiar circumstances, tay autematically be translated into the general habit of obedience. ‘The samne*may Le eaid of such qualities as alertness, industry, truthfulness, etic, It is by no means capable «ef demonstration that those whe have had mililary training. er have been aub- Ject 10 military discipline, are superior to other citizene dn the possession of these qualities. 6 WHAT ARE PROMINENT EDUCATIONAL BODIES SAYING NOW ABOUT ADOPTING POST-WAR CONSCRIPTION? “Does America Want Conscription as a Peacetime Policy?” asks the Journal of the National Education Association. Then it quotes, “one of the most important pronouncements ever made by leaders of the teaching profession,” the statement adepted Maich 33, 194b, hy the Educational! Policies Commission of the National Edv- cation Association and the American Association of School Administrators and the Problems and Plans Com- There mittee of the American Council on Education. bodies soid in part: Tn our judgment it is unwise to commit the nation at this time to a year of universal military service for the follwing reasons... No hasic change is necessary to provide required military personnel, net onty for the period of the war, but also for the period immediately fol- towing the defeat of aur enemies... A question which must be appraised in tong-rance terms, In these terms it is clearly impossible to debate fairty and intelli vently the question of whether compulsury rilitury service ip a na tonal military necessity... Uni] the post-war national eituation ig clarified, it hetims to td extremely unwise and even dancerous ta com. mit the nation to such a revolutionary chenge in funda ial F i oe Fol Pid Diag ale RES gen CA ey et eb he Peg da ne 4 meonta) national policy . . . Qur American tradition is wrongly set against a large standing army... Men now in military eervice should have a yoire im determining the desirability and soundness of compulsory military service 2a. The American people are fighting this war with the high hope that it will eventuste in an enduring peace. We all look for messutea of internetional cooperation which will reduce the necessity for lame scale post-war military establislinent, Tf, against the background of these great expectations, a year of compulsory military training is urged, many Americans will interpret such Action as a signal for tho return of the cynicism of the 3920's or aa an admission that we shall al! continue to live in an armed camp and that the hopes of a more peaceful world are not to be realized. q7. ISNT A SYSTEM OF CONSCRIPTIO REALLY DEMOCRATIC? There are two major aspects of demecracy—equal and liberty. There is often a fraternal benefit from t associations in the ranks of the military, But dacs a ohe scriously contend that the armed services have gis equal opportunily, rank, or recognition to, for exaimy the Negro? , Conscription particularly violates the second elem: of democracy—liberty. Many of our most stalwart ¢ zens are descended from men and women who came America to escape the sysiems off cunseription in Ub countries. Conscription tends to limit academic freedc the right of the press to criticize government policies a political and military leaders, and tends to discoure peaccful means of international cenperation. There is a great deal to be said in favor of a sei of obligation to serve the community. [t is not cle however, Uhat that sense of obligation can be devecloy best by cepulsion, There is a great dillerence hetw service rendered to the conmmunity from a sense of du and service rendered to the nation under compul.i The assumption has been that one makes his best o. tribution to the national life of America by doing se v as he can the work which he has selected Cov lisel f. [9] 4 yt slot Pan