National Affairs: The New Debate

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Before a Congress which has shown every indication of shying away from universal military training, Harry Truman stood up this week and said flatly that universal military training was necessary to U.S. survival. Thus he backed up his Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, proved again that he was willing to give his top men the same loyalty he took as a matter of course.

The President proposed that every youth take one year's military training when he was graduated from high school or turned 18—whichever came later. During the year he would learn something about all phases of the armed services and all weapons; afterward he would become part of a "general reserve" made up of all male citizens who have been trained in warfare. Six years later he would go into a "secondary reserve"—i.e., men less likely to be called immediately in case of emergency.

Along with the training program, Harry Truman proposed comparatively small regular forces, with a greatly strengthened National Guard and organized reserves for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. And he proposed that the armed services should improve their training standards—thus anticipating the arguments of those who consider close-order drill poor insurance against atomic-age aggression.

Said Harry Truman: We should pass such a bill "while the danger is still fresh in our minds, while we still remember how close we came to destruction four years ago, while we can visibly recall the horrors of invasion which our Allies suffered, and while we can still see all the ravages and ruins of war."

The President also:

¶ Was visited by members of the Supreme Court, making their annual trip to the White House to report that they were back in session.

¶ Disclosed that he had written to the other leaders of the Big Five, trying to find a way out of the difficulties which wrecked the London Conference.

¶ Made a progress report on the Palestine discussions with Great Britain (see INTERNATIONAL).

¶ Transferred all surplus property disposal from Henry Wallace's Department of Commerce to the Reconstruction Finance Corp. (see BUSINESS).

¶ Asked Congress 1) to let Puerto Ricans decide how much independence they wanted, 2) to appropriate $221,000,000 for public works interrupted by the war.

¶ At a dinner honoring General George C. Marshall said that Marshall was the greatest military leader in all history.

¶ Took an evening off to become a 33rd degree Mason—one degree higher than any President before him.