STATEMENT OF HON. WILLIAM L. CLAYTON, COMMISSIONER, BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HEARINGS ON PROPOSED NATIONAL SECURITY TRAINING CORPS ACT

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I appreciate this opportunity to present to you my reasons for believing that universal military training should be adopted by our country and that the bill which you are now considering for that purpose should become law.

Careful investigation and consideration have been given to every provision of this bill.

CONTINUING CRISIS

Nearly all informed persons believe that we are living in a dangerous world. Some of us believe that it may remain dangerous for a long time to come.

Freedom in the world has been won by struggle and sacrifice. It will not be preserved by complacency and softness.

Never in its long, arduous upward climb has freedom been so gravely menaced as it is today. Only through the vigorous, courageous, unified action of the free themselves can freedom be preserved in the world.

SOVIET IMPERIALISM

Korea exposed both the nakedness of Communist aggression and the military weakness of the West.

But it did more than that-it shook the free world out of its lethargy and said to it in the language of war and of death and destruction. Get ready to defend yourselves or risk a smilar fate. History will certainly applaud the prompt and vigorous action of the United States in taking world leadership to meet this

menace.

The free world was already at grips with the Communist aggressor in the cold war. Korea was a bloody example of the enemy's intention to resort to shooting, if necessary. to accomplish his purpose of world domination provided he thought he could get away with it.

A glance at a map of the world, shaded to represent Russia's postwar expansion, presents a frightening picture of the extent to which she has already gone in advancing her mad design to conquer the world. Until Korea, it was an expansion without the firing of a gun-the greatest and cheapest acquisition of peoples, territory and resources in recorded history.

The cold war, an invention of the Kremlin, was a unique and comparatively costless technique for their purpose.

UNITED STATES POLICY

But for the prompt and effective action of the United States in the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall plan, the western boundary of the Russian Empire would almost certainly now rest on the English Channel and her long arm reaching out to the east would encircle almost all of the mainland of Asia.

The only thing new in the Russian Imperialist ambition is the "Communist cloak" which it now wears. For centuries Russia has been ruled by dictators whose dominant passion has been the expansion of their empire. It would be a tragic mistake to assume that her fundamental policy will change with the passing of the individuals now holding power.

The prime objective of the foreign policy of the United States is the prevention of world war III.

Communist Russia has divided the world into two parts, the Communist world and the democratic world, the slave world and the free world.

The aggregate wealth and power of the free world is infinitely greater than that of the slave world. Why then should the free world fear the slave world? The answer, in the words of Ġeneral Eisenhower, is because the slave world is unified. He added that we must oppose that unified strength with a unity of free men which will not be defeated.

NO PEACE ASSURED

In the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the attempt is being made to build a balanced, unified military force capable of successful defense against anything which the Communist world may be able to muster in attack. If that can be done within a reasonable time, the probabilities are that world war III can be avoided. But that doesn't mean that peace will have come to the world. As the

Christian Science Monitor recently said, "Americans face the possibility of a modern 'Thirty Years' War'-a long period of tensions, small wars, and threats, if not actuality, of another world war. They cannot continue to mobilize when frightened, demobilize when tensions ease. They will not again have a 2-year margin behind a bulwark of stong allies should the big thing come." In short, the free world must not only prepare, it must, for the foreseeable future, stay prepared.

The leadership in this enterprise has fallen on the United States. We neither desired nor sought this responsibility; circumstances forced it upon us.

The effectiveness with which the United States can speak in international councils, in the dangerous world in which we are now living, will be measured to a great extent by the ability of the United States to successfully defend herself and to assist in the successful defense of her allies if attacked.

The building of a balanced, unified military force of adequate proportions to defend the free world presents many serious problems. Not the least of these is the cost.

If the effort to arm adequately to prevent a shooting war should be so costly as to bring the economy of the free world to the point of disintegration and collapse, there would be grave danger that we would lose the cold war and sacrifice our freedom in that way.

UMT IN LONG-RANGE PLANNING

I do not pretend for a moment that this highly complex problem can be solved by UMT. I respectfully represent that the adoption of UMT as a basic element in our long-range military planning is the most economical method of providing the kind of self-renewing military strength which we must maintain. It will be much cheaper to provide 6-months' military training for our young men, from whence they would go into the Reserves, than to maintain a large standing army.

Now, as you gentlemen well know, military strength is measured in several

ways.

It is measured in industrial capacity and potential; in technology and know-how;

in matériel.

But finally it is measured in that most important of all elements-the resourcefulness and capability of the individual citizen.

The ultimate weapon is man-not the A-bomb.

Adequate preparedness, then, is the possession, in proper proportions, of trained men and equipment.

Military strength in terms of men is measured not only by the forces in being in field and camp but by the numbers of trained organized reserve forces which can be called up on short notice. The continued maintenance of a large standing army would not only violate the treasured traditions of our country but its cost would be exorbitant.

UMT DEMOCRATIC ANSWER

Universal military training is the democratic answer to a problem created by dictators.

Properly conceived and administered, it will not only afford basic military training to our young men, with emphasis on the responsibilities of citizenship in the modern world, but will surround them with spiritual and moral influences which should enrich their lives, and better equip them for facing the future.

It will serve notice on the dictators that the United States is determined to do its part in keeping the free world free.

Mr. WADSWORTH. Mr. Chairman, if it is agreeable to you and the committee we would like General McLain to be on next. Chairman RUSSELL. Very well, General.

STATEMENT OF LT. GEN. RAYMOND S. McLAIN, COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL SECURITY TRAINING COMMISSION

General MCLAIN. Mr. Chairman, and Senators, my subject that has been assigned is the broad outline of the program. I want to discuss first the basic values.

BASIC VALUES

In approaching the question of a broad outline for a program, I would like to review, for the sake of background, what we expect to accomplish by a program of universal military training. That is, bring into perspective the raw material (manpower) to be introduced into the program; the extent of processing while in the program; how the product of universal military training fits into and enhances other programs for national security, especially Regular forces and Reserves. Basically, the purpose of universal military training is:

1. To enhance our national security;

2. To avoid the necessity of maintaining in normal times large armed forces to fulfill our military missions in case of a major emergency, and to achieve the greatest economy of force in periods of international tension. It will enable us to move sooner in that direction, even in these days of tension and uncertainty;

3. To adjust, to some extent, the inequalities of burden for our national security; to eradicate as many of the present inequalities as practicable; and

4. To proclaim our purpose to preserve our liberties by unanimous dedication of our people to that end.

INEQUALITIES IN SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY

Inequalities accrue in the development of circumstances. But we should not deliberately compound them by failure to provide initial equality of availability of all alike. At the present time thousands of men are being brought into the military services. They are receiving training extending into 2 years of service. On discharge they are moved into Reserve status, where they are liable for still further service for 6 years more, in case of emergency. At the same time there are nearly 2 million men who are deferred, many of whom will receive no training, no service, no Reserve liability. In case of a future major emergency, many of the veterans who have served in Korea and even veterans of World War II would have to be called again to fill the gap while these others were being trained. Among those who have not been called are some 84,970 in agriculture, 27,519 in industry, 908,000 in 3-A (with dependents), 891,000 students, of whom 275,000 are in ROTC or other civilian components. Many in these groups will be called, but the majority will never serve or acquire any liability for it. In the dependency group, some with wives only are being called now. The man who is selected now serves 2 years, including a hitch in Korea, and will have Reserve status with or without training for a period of years, while his neighbor who did not go will still have no Reserve status and will not have to turn out for a single drill nor a single summer camp.

If, by transferring the veteran to an unassigned pool, he has to be called to fill going organizations to war strength in an emergency, he has double jeopardy. If to vitalize civilian component organizations, he has double training plus double jeopardy, all ahead of the nonveteran. In case of a new or greater emergency this would lead to a very bad morale situation. Universal military training would give the men who did not get service the training necessary to make them available in case of an emergency, and would move them into a

Reserve status so that they could be called ahead of the men who have already devoted 2 years or more of their time to the defense of this country. They would at least have to attend drill along with the Korean veterans. While it is difficult to call one man for service and another man for training only, we are now calling one man for training and service and the other goes scott-free. Can we expect military leaders to create an effective force, in a general mobilization, under a basic philosophy which places such little emphasis on the responsibility of all alike and leaves that responsibility so unequally and unjustly on the shoulders of one class. Could there be any more flagrant class legislation? Can we ever expect to make soldiers out of men who grow up under circumstances that can lead them to believe they are too good to fight?

TOTAL FORCE PARTIALLY TRAINED

We have long accepted the basic concept of a partial force (Regulars) totally trained. As the scope of war has grown, we have supplemented that with an additional segment of partial force, partially trained. Now, in an era of total wars, I think it fits into this patternof thinking to look at universal military training as a total force partially trained-that is Regulars completely trained, with all others trained to a point where they may be brought to a state of readiness in a logical sequence and as rapidly as they could be utilized. Universal military training produces as its end product-a replacement ready to go in a matter of days-to troops in action or troops in training, or Reserves standing by for mobilization. We have seen the need of this in every war we have fought. In World Wars I and II, our allies enabled us to arm and train. We no longer can count on this. Universal military training is to anticipate this requirement by stockpiling 6 months of time. It will enable us to create divisions to move overseas as fast as our ships can carry them. Without it, there would be a hiatus of some 4 or 5 months during which only a trickle could be shipped. During this time, the forces we had committed would be in a great jeopardy. Universal military training will bring our resources in trained combat power in line with our mobility resources. By this formula, we have the capabilities of holding air bases much nearer to the enemy, thus enhancing, by several hundred percent, our air effectiveness, and by the same means, reducing enemy air effectiveness against us.

FUTURE PEACETIME TRAINING

A universal military training law is necessary now for the reason that no one can foresee exactly when it will be possible to consider reduction in strength of the Armed Forces; nor what pattern of force could be followed in case of gradual demobilization. It can be done sooner with universal military training than without it. With universal military training established by statute, planning on reduction of forces can be done logically. Heretofore, we have demobilized into a vacuum, while we pleaded for legislation prospective to a logical program. A Reserve program without it was devised and proved inadequate. It brought us to a situation on the occasion of the Korean hostilities which forced us, to our shame, to again call on veterans who had already performed their share of military duty, while other young men, who might have been in training 3 or 4 years

ago, had to be trained for 4 months or more before they could be utilized even for replacements. Such emergencies do not permit delay. It was too late to avoid the call of the veteran. Korea hung by a thread. Great injustice was done to the veteran by dislocations in his affairs after he had performed his service and after his personal circumstances had drastically changed. We had no other trained men with which to reach combat strengths nor to provide replacements as casualties occurred.

TRADITIONS

It has been alleged that universal military training is undemocratic and violates the American tradition against compulsion and of exclusive voluntary military service except in wartime. I point out that we exercise compulsory education, compulsory jury service, and so forth-why not 6 months' compulsory training? The basic concept of the United States militia is pointed to equality of responsibility for our national security. The whole theory of democratic government is toward equality of opportunity. Is not equality of burden in every respect a proper counterpart? I say that the words of Nathan Hale, "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country," was once a cherished tradition of our country. There was once a tradition "Millions for defense; but not one cent for tribute." I shudder at the amazing number of otherwise substantial people who want to be excused from all liability, or resist giving even 6 months to preparation. Let us listen to the voices of patriots in the days when we produced traditions, both heroic and tragic. Let us recall the traditions of which we are proud and those we should shed with shame. Gen. Henry Lee, in his memoirs, said:

Government is the murderer of its citizens which sends them to the field uninformed and untaught, where they are to meet men of the same age and strength, mechanized by education and discipline for battle.

I know from bitter experience in the mountains of Italy, the Hurtgen Forest, the Ardennes, what suffering some men had to endure because we lacked trained men. Valley Forge was only a token of their suffering.

I would like to add a personal experience there from something over 600 days in combat. I used to walk along beside the boys who were fighting there, and I was shocked to hear them say, "General, there is no hope for us. The only way we can get any rest from this is to be wounded." They were praying they would be wounded, not too badly, so they could get out of the line and lie down in a bed, because we did not have enough people.

I heard of cases in my old division, the Ninetieth Division, one time where boys whose feet had become wet and frozen were carried out in fox holes and did duty there when if you split their shoe laces open their feet would burst open just like a wienie put in hot water. They were carried out there because their comrades were exhausted beyond endurance. They did their duty. When the people tell me they don't have time to devote 6 months to universal training, Mr. Chairman, I personally don't understand it. That is the reason I stayed in the Army to do some work on this at General Marshall's request, and the reason I am here today instead of home attending to business.