◆ SpookStack

WHATS WLONG with Peacotime Universal Military. Irainn for the United States I It would stand in the way of a dur-. quiring dictatorial power and then plunging Eur able world peace. into war. Prussia followed Napoleon's Iead, si whcn conscription has been the tap root of inter If thc Axis nations are to be completely disarmed tionaI nilitarisn, a deadly cancer spreading thror fter this war, why should thc United.Statcs con- out Europe and thrcatening increasingly the cn inue to naintain a gigantic military establishment structure of civilization.. hacked by national conscription? That wonld be But the United States has stood pre-euinent am he ctartina sianal for an international armament the nations as a land where men arc freo from. acc, as surely as our passage of the Smoot-Hawlcy military scourge. For more than a century, thousu Tariff Act precipitated world-wide economic repri- of the staunchest men of Europe forsook home als and warfare. And the conseguences of interna- country to brave an ocean crossing and the toil: ional competition in conscription may well be pioneering in Amcrica to get away from thc slay lisastrous. and slaughter of Europe's militarism. And when t National conscription docs not fit into the picture looked upon the Statue of Liberty they saw it : f any genuine world police systcm. Since none of positive guarantee of those decp desires. he victor nations intends to put its conscriptees inder the supreme authority of a world. governmcnt, hey will be expcndable primarily for national pur- Universal military training is not soscs. The vcry cruistence of such pctentialitics of alternative to a big sianding arr lestruction and aggression on all sidcs will cancel out Secretary Stimson and General Marshall have dI faith in the adequacy of a gencral international rganization to preserve peacc.. cently cJaimed that a period of conpulsory mili training for all able-bodied youth, and their su. The elimination of manmoth national armaments s thercfore a prerequisite for the effective function. quent incorporation into a reserve, would be a de ng and anthority of a supranational world agency. cratic substitute for thc Iarge standing army wl f no nation arms beyond what is nccessary for the thcy say we must otherwise maintain. That is naintenance of domestic order, and if a sincere at extraordinary clain! Universal conscription for one year of trair cinp! is made to provide opportunitics for peaceful hange looking io iniernational justice, then no armies as proposed in the May Bill, for example, would nder the guise of "police" will he neccssary. volve a huge and cxpensive establishment. The < The peace system and the nilitary systen are irree- scripts cannot be trained without arns, tanks, Incilable. America's choice of post-war conserip. planes, and a vast yuantity of war material. Tl ion at this juncture would be a vote against peace- Fands of permanent oflicers, non-comnis-ioned ul organization of the world community. cers, and caretakers of government property wil needed. And there would bc fat contracis for sh. clothing, food, and other supplies. We would s ? Universal peacetima conscription with an annual complement of 1,2o0,000 Io,y. would plan? in America's demccrutic reach the age of 17 every year. Also, year alisr y ioil. Europe's cancer of milltcry well orer a milion would bc gradled to raej! ranks of the reserves. On sueh a basis we woull I. despatism. up in no tine a vast inifitary interest and Ie!ty -! Cet. arition . waeinyenty! ah! jn.roinea ie. dansra, lo. peacetinne Hiberty dhng.any I d Ie..bisug Hlbseriy. equality, and fraternuty agaisst The idea that cotistription can Ie a dse! .... ins. Yet Nareleon ured it ts a mgans of ac. Alt. rmtive to a hi flanding arny is s gol! bsi.