recipient is then eligible for disability compensation based upon the degree of disability and upon his salary and reduced earning capacity. Since trainees are in an involuntary military status and are on duty 24 hours a day, the Commission has recommended that for the purposes of the NSTC the wording of the FECA "injuries suffered in performance of duty" be changed to "line of duty" when applied to trainees. For purposes of equity the Commission set the basic compensation of trainees at $150 a month for computing disability and death benefits. This figure includes pay and cost of food, clothing, shelter and other varied supplies and services furnished the trainee. If only the pay $30 a month were considered the disability payments would be unrealistic and insufficient. A table of comparative rates of disability payments to trainees and veterans without dependents shows that for 50-percent disability the trainee would receive $50 a month under FECA as compared to $60 under VA for a peacetime veteran and $75 for a war veteran. For 90-percent disability, the figures would be $90, $108, and $135, respectively. Generally speaking, the disability compensation for the trainee would be considerably less than for a war veteran and slightly less than for a peacetime veteran. THE COMMISSION'S TASK In conclusion, the Congress, in Public Law 51, approved the principle of universal military training and set up the National Security Training Commission to "establish such policies and standards with respect to the training of members of the National Security Training Corps as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this act." The act prescribed certain other duties and responsibilities for the Commission. The proposed legislation which you have before you represents the effort of the Commission to carry out its mandate. We believe that the proposed legislation provides effective measures for the personal safety, health, welfare, and morals of members of the National Security Training Corps and should go far in laying the foundation for the building of that character so necessary in the making of good soldiers and good citizens. Adequate benefits and safeguards have been provided. UMTS-SURVIVAL INSURANCE I regard universal military training as survival insurance for our country. I believe that it will exert a great moral and uplifting influence throughout the Nation. If the proposed legislation is enacted, in the years to come, parents who today look askance upon a program of universal military training will rejoice at the great opportunity it provides for the growing generations. Chairman RUSSELL. On behalf of the committee, I wish to express our appreciation to the three members of the Commission who have given us these splendid and detailed statements with respect to the program. I hope that those of you who have made statements this morning will be present tomorrow in order that you may sit rather as a panel to answer any questions that might be propounded by members of the committee. When we convene tomorrow, we will hear from an old friend who has often been here to counsel with us on this and other problems. That is Dr. Karl T. Compton, and after Dr. Compton has concluded his statement, the members of the committee will undoubtedly have some questions of you gentlemen. The committee will now stand in recess until 10:30 tomorrow morning. (Whereupon, at 12:30 p. m., the committee recessed, to reconvene at 10:30 a. m., Friday, February 8, 1952.) NATIONAL SECURITY TRAINING CORPS ACT FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1952 UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10:30 a. m., in room 212, Senate Office Building, Senator Richard B. Russell (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Russell (chairman), Hunt, Stennis Long, Saltonstall, Flanders, and Cain. Also present: James W. Wadsworth, Chairman, National Security Training Commission; Lt. Gen. Raymond S. McLain, Commissioner, National Security Training Commission; Admiral Thomas C. Kincaid, Commissioner, National Security Training Commission; Karl T. Compton, Commissioner, National Security Training Commission; Harry H. Semmes, Executive Director, National Security Training Commission; Edgar G. Shelton, Jr., Deputy Executive Director, National Security Training Commission. William H. Darden, committee clerk, and Verne D. Mudge of the committee staff. Chairman RUSSELL. The committee will come to order. Before we commence the hearing this morning, I wish to announce that the Office of the Commandant of the Marine Corps telephoned the staff of the committee to advise us that there will be an informal meeting in the Office of the Commandant of the Marine Corps at 12 o'clock Monday morning to award to former Congressman Maas the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. Members of the committee are invited to attend if they can find it possible to do so. I will be very pleased if some member of the committee could be present on that occasion. Dr. Compton is our next witness. Doctor, you may proceed in your own way. STATEMENT OF DR. KARL T. COMPTON, COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL SECURITY TRAINING COMMISSION Mr. COMPTON. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, at the hearing yesterday, our chairman, Mr. Wadsworth, outlined the procedures followed by our Commission and our understanding of the relationships between our Commission, the Congress, and the Department of Defense as set forth in Public Law 51. He emphasized particularly a civilian control of the universal military training program, and means by which our Commission plans to implement this function. General McLain discussed the significance of universal military training from the standpoint both of national security and of the benefits to the trainees themselves with reference not only to their ability to survive and to operate effectively under combat conditions, but also as emphasizing the responsibility of all citizens to do their duty in the service of their country. He then explained in some detail the plans for the 6 months' training in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, emphasizing the fact that this training includes, as an important element the development of effectiveness in the various technical aspects of modern warfare. Then Admiral Kinkaid discussed various important features of the plan as it relates to the welfare, protection, and moral safeguards for the individual trainees. Mr. Clayton, in his testimony, which was placed in the record, dealt primarily with the significance of universal military training as one of the important factors relating to our Nation's role in international affairs. SCOPE OF TESTIMONY The particular part of our testimony which was assigned to me has to do primarily with the provisions in our proposed legislation as they relate the protection and welfare of the trainees. My remarks on this subject will therefore supplement to a certain extent, a part of the testimony given by Admiral Kinkaid. In addition to this, however, I am taking this opportunity to discuss some of the questions and criticisms which have been raised in reference to the universal military training program. Your chairman, Senator Russell, and our chairman, Mr. Wadsworth, both explained that the functions of these hearings are not to discuss whether or not universal military training should be adopted, since this was already settled in principle by the Congress in Public Law 51. The first function of our Commission has been to propose the legislation necessary to implement that basic decision so that the universal military training program may go into effect promptly when the higher authority decides that the time has come to put it into operation. My discussion of these questions and criticisms is therefore not primarily for the purpose of defending the concept of universal military training but rather of explaining some of the reasons back of our specific proposals. We had to consider these questions and criticisms before we could arrive at soundly based conclusions for our recommendations to the Congress. With this preliminary explanation therefore I shall proceed to the prepared testimony. DEMOBILIZATION AFTER WORLD WAR II It has been my privilege to appear several times before this committee during the past 5 years in support of universal military training legislation. I became seriously concerned with this question when I saw the precipitate demobilization of our military strength in the far Pacific and later at home, following the close of World War II. Without at that time having made any analysis of the problem, I nevertheless felt instinctively that such quick demobilization into |