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American Friends Service Committee — Part 27
Page 26
26 / 29
Univ
I@ with
orsal (aii
itary 4
. for the United States
i lt would stand in the way of a dur-’
able world cecce.
Goce wore peace,
If the Axis nations are to be completely disarmed
iter this war, why should the United States con-
inue to majntain a gigantic military establishment
nacked by national conscription? That would be
he startine sienal far an international armament
ace, as surely as our passage of the Smoot-Hawlcy
Tariff Act precipitated world-wide economic repri-
als and warfare. And the consequences of interna-
ional competition in conscription may well be
lisastrous,
National conscription docs not fit into the picture
f any genuine world police system. Since none of
he victor nations intends to put its conscriptees
smder the supreme authority of a world government,
hey will be expendzble primarily for national pur-
roses. The very cxistence "of such potentislitics of
lostrietion and aver: n all sides will cancel out
lestritction and ager all sidcs will cancel out
W faith in the adequacy of a gen
ganization to preserve peace.
The elimination of mammoth national armaments
therefore a prerequisite for the effective function-
ng and authority of a supranational world agency.
{no nation arms beyond what is necessary for the
neral international
naintenance of domestic order, and if a sincere at-
empt is made to provide opportunities for peaceful
nge looking to international justice, then no armies
the guise of “police” will he necessary.
The peace system and the military systens ar
meilahle. Ameri choice of post-war con
ion at this juncture would be a vate against peace-
ul organization of the world community.
3 Universal peacetime conscript ton
would plan? in America's democratic
ioif Europe's cancer of military
foanatism.
dan
quiring dictatorial power and then plunging Eur
into war. Prussia followed Napoleon’s lead, sii
when conscription has been the tap root of inter
tional militarism, a deadly cancer spreading throu
out Europe and threatening increasingly the ent
structure of civilization.
But the United States has stood pre-eminent am
the nations as a land where men are fice fivine j
unilitary scourge. For more than a century, thouss
of the staunchest men of Europe forsook home
eountry te brave an ocean crossing and the to
5
country to brave an ecean crossing and the
pioneering in Amcrica to get away from the clay
and slaughter of Europe’s militarism, And when t
looked upon the Statue of Liberty they saw it a
positive guarantee of those deep desires.
2 Universal military training is not +
” alternative to a big standing err
Seerctary Stimson and Gencral Marshal] have
cently cJaimed that a period of compulsory milit
training for all able-bodied youth, and their sul
quent incorporation into a reserve, would he a de
cratic substitute for the large standing army wh
they say we must otherwise maintain. That is
extraordinary claim!
Universal conscription for one year of train
e¢ May Bill, for example, w:
t huge aud cxpensive establishment, The ¢
scripts cannot be trained without arms,
planes, and a vast quantity of war material.
rands of permanent oflicers, non-commissioned
cers, and caretakers of government property will
needed, And there would be fat contracts for eli
clothing, food, and other supplies. We wonld +
with an annual complement of 1,200,000 bey
reach the age of 17 every year. Also, year aticr y
well over a aniflion would be gradusted to sei!
On such si
itary inter
Jaber
jn we would In
tand le
riuchs of the reser
Up inne time a
im
sys to
Wtoruative toa bie elandina saehl tei
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