One of the criticisms directed against democracy is that it is slow to defend itself. It does not act until aroused.

If we wait until the end of the war, there may be a tendency to continue to postpone action until it is once again too late.

The reasons in support of the program on behalf of which I speak exist now. Action upon such legislation should be taken now. Of course, all that I have said about the Army applies equally to the Navy. Consequently, in summary, may I say:

First, I believe universal military training to be an integral part of our country's desire to preserve the peace of the world and I believe it should be enacted now.

Second, I believe technical military training is not enough. Coincident with such training, opportunity must be provided for both onduty and off-duty training in American history, citizenship, and the study of current events.

Third, a representative civilian advisory committee to consult and cooperate with the War and Navy Departments is imperative.

And, fourth, the legislation should be limited in duration to permit congressional review.

In conclusion, let me say that the two younger of my three sons, in all probability, will never be called for service under the present selective service law.

My children and their forebears for four generations have enjoyed the blessings of America. I would be glad to have them serve 1 year under a peacetime universal military training program, so that they, and their Children and their children's children, may continue to enjoy the same blessings in a secure America.

Chairman WOODRUM. Thank you very much, Mr. Weil.

Mr. C. J. Nicklas, will you come up, sir.

Mr. NICKLAS. Yes.

Chairman WOODRUM. Would you tell us something about yourself, Mr. Nicklas?

You are from Pittsburgh?

Mr. NICKLAS. Yes, sir; I am from Pittsburgh, Pa., Mr. Chairman, and I have included in my statement a little history of my war record. Chairman WOODRUM. Very well, sir; you may proceed, please.

STATEMENT OF CHESTER J. NICKLAS

Mr. NICKLAS. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I volunteered in 1917. I have been an enlisted man, a noncommissioned and commissioned officer of the United States Army, and served 10 months in France in World War I. I have served over 10 years in the Army Reserve as a first lieutenant and later as a captain. I have just finished over 3 years of active service in the United States Navy as a line officer with the rank of lieutenant commander and spent 13 months of that time in the Pacific. I am presently of that rank on inactive duty. In both World War I and World War II, I have seen delay and confusion result from unpreparedness which in turn delayed the prosecution of both wars and consequently cost more blood and lives.

In my judgment, based upon my experience, it takes at least a year to make a soldier or a sailor relatively efficient, and I believe that the

training which should be given all of our youths should be for that period of time, and constantly, rather than by any method of training used by the National Guard or the Reserve Corps.

I am well enough acquainted with the men of the armed forces who will have charge of this training to know that they will not endeavor to change our form of government into a military form of government. I know and sincerely believe they will endeavor to stimulate a greater interest in religion and education in our boys. No one in uniform has ever been ashamed to call upon God in an hour of need. Some of those in uniform probably never thought much about religion and education until they came into contact with those in the services who possessed both of these commonplace American precepts. At least I have confidence that the men entrusted with the training of our youth will not allow the uniform to replace religion and education.

As for the cost of this training, let us all remember that America has always been ready to spend millions for defense but nothing for tribute. Suppose it had not been necessary for us to enter and win the war. If the Germans had won, certainly the United States would have been an armed camp for the next generation. The cost of maintaining the whole United States as a complete military reservation would certainly cost more in money and the free lives of individuals than a year of compulsory military training.

It is true that military training will take a year from the life of every young man in his youth, but on the other hand it may and undoubtedly will preserve his life 5 or 10 years.

It is well to look beyond the year which a youth may be required to give and think of his life 5 or 10 years later in a world which has always been torn by strife. The knowledge that America is prepared to and can send an army of trained men onto a battlefield within a short period of time may well deter any future enemy from ever attacking us.

I do not know of any city in the United States which reduces its fire department after a large fire, or reduces its police department after a murder; and for the life of me, I cannot understand the attitude of some of the teachers and religious leaders who seem to attack this question of universal military training without knowing anything about it. They speak of representing millions of people of this outfit or another. I am of the millions of both wars who have seen the folly of our unpreparedness.

It was forcibly called to my attention, and so very recently, that force can only be overcome by superior force.

I have two sons, both of whom are volunteers in the present war; one a first lieutenant of Infantry who has been in the African and Italian campaigns, and who has been over there almost 3 years; another who has just been commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy, and who will go into the Pacific fight shortly. Both of my sons have voluntarily told me that when the war is over they will continue in their respective reserves, because they have seen the difficulty involved in the training of the armed forces during a period of war and at a time when so few members of the armed forces have ever been subjected to military training.

William Jennings Bryan years ago made a statement that a million men would spring to arms overnight. That is a beautiful

thought; but I wonder what Mr. Bryan thought they would use for the defense of this country.

I have seen simulated training of personnel in both the Army and Navy to the point where it was ludicrous. If we had been prepared, Japan would not have made her attack upon us. If Russia had been prepared, Germany would not have attacked her. If China had been prepared, I do not believe Japan could have attacked us. In my short life, I have seen this country twice precipitated into war, and each time unprepared. I hate war, as every other sane person does; but unless we are able to change human nature, I do not believe that the present conflict is the last war of this world, although I sincerely hope it will be.

The services never made a bum out of any man, but they have made men out of some bums. It is true though that war, not the services, has made derelicts out of some men. The services in my opinion have taken good care of the American boys and have developed a resourcefulness and sense of fellowship in these boys that could never have been acquired in any other manner.

When ill, we consult a doctor; when it comes to war, we ought to rely on our topside military men, and be guided by their thoughts concerning universal military training.

There are those who say that we should wait until this war is over because we do not know what the international situation will be. There are also those who say that we should rely on disarmament agreements; also some say that if we rearm it will be an invitation to other countries to prepare for war. My answers to these three things are that we have only to turn our attention to the Far East and to Europe during the past 10 years to know that regardless of what contention may be advanced, neither the Kellogg Peace Pact nor the League of Nations has prevented or so far had the slightest effect upon the military activities throughout the world. Disarmament agreements cannot be relied upon.

In this war it was necessary to furnish over-age destroyers to another nation because that nation relied on certain ratios of sea power to those of other nations. Germany and Japan certainly did rearm despite any agreements to the contrary. In answer to the third criticism of peacetime military conscription, I can only say that it is my belief the creation of a large reserve of trained men will act as a deterrent to other nations who may desire war with us. At least we would be prepared to meet any challenge. In the next war we may be the first nation attacked. Certainly in the war against Japan, we were attacked first. This attack took place remote from this continent; the next time the location of the attack may be closer to home.

Last fall, as Assistant Chief of Staff to the island commander, I went in with the First Marine Division in the assault on Peleliu in the Western Carolines. I went ashore on D-day-plus-3 day and I was there in combat for 51 days, and I saw the finest flower of America wounded and killed-and these men were prepared. I shudder to think what could have happened, if it had been necessary to invade an island like Peleliu with an untrained army pitted against a trained army like the Japanese.

It is true that with earlier and more training for these men so many of them may not have fallen at Peleliu; and in memory of those

who gave their lives in both world wars as unprepared by valiant soldiers, who may not have fallen if they had had earlier military training, I urge and respectfully plead with those in authority to enact a law calling for 1 year's military training for the youth of our Nation, so that never again will the youth of this Nation be called. upon to enter a battle unprepared, and possibly to prevent them from ever being called upon to enter any battle.

Chairman WOODRUM. Thank you very much, sir; we are glad to have had your statement.

Mr. NICKLAS. Thank you, sir.

Chairman WOODRUM. The committee is very glad to have the distinguished member of the Connecticut State Legislature here with us this morning, Mrs. Helen W. Zbikowski.

The committee will be delighted to have you come forward, Mrs. Zbikowski, and give us your statement.

STATEMENT OF MRS. HELEN W. ZBIKOWSKI (BRISTOL), MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, STATE OF CONNECTICUT

Mrs. ZBIKOWSKI. Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee, I am here today in response to your kind invitation to give expression to my thoughts on universal military training legislation as indicated in House Resolution 515.

It is my belief that the invitation so kindly extended to me stemmed from a speech which I made as a member of the House of Representatives of Connecticut on April 25 of this year at which time our legislature proposed and passed a resolution memorializing Congress and asking that universal military training legislation be adopted by the Seventy-ninth Congress. I was a proponent of that resolution. I am a proponent of the measure now before you and advocate its passage. My intention is to repeat to you, in effect, as nearly as I can, what I said to the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut advocating the passage of this resolution.

It is my sincere belief that I have the same convictions regarding this important subject as have thousands and thousands of fellow American citizens who have members of their families in the armed forces and like so many thousands of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sweethearts who know and feel keenly the loss of their loved

ones.

I have read with interest excerpts from some of the addresses made before this committee. Nothing that has been said, however, has altered my belief that our future security, as a Nation, depends upon reasonable preparation for war. This statement simply paraphrases the admonition of President and General Washington:

To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace. I cannot bring myself to believe that this war is going to end all wars unless we instill in the minds of an aggressor that America is determined and prepared to resist aggression. There is no surer means to avoid conflict than a proper preparedness for that conflict.

Did we not at the end of World War I sincerely believe that that war succeeded in ending future wars? Did we not in that belief scuttle many of our battleships and scrap much of our war machinery? Shall we again allow ourselves to be lulled into a sense of false security

by the ineffective armor of exhortation and appeasement? Such weapons are not match for cold steel. This war attests to the futility of that policy. Should we not now be convinced that eternal vigilence is the price of liberty? What does eternal vigilence mean or imply? Does it not mean that we must always be prepared for a situation. that may arise and threaten the safety and welfare of our Nation? To me, if it does not mean that-it means nothing.

One of the chief arguments against the enactment of this legislation, it appears, is that the military training envisioned in the proposed measure before you is conducive to the evils of what is known as a militaristic state. I see no basis or ground for this fear. We have had—all during the life of our Republic-what is known as the militia. Would anyone say that this arm of our Government has instilled militarism? The military training proposed in this bill is only an enlargement of our militia program, and is designed to further give to the youth of our country that physical and mental training which is a splendid attribute of manhood.

Would anybody deny that the physical and mental stature of our men has been greatly enhanced as the result of military training given to them?

It is with these thoughts in mind that I have come to the conclusion that a properly militarily trained American citizenry is absolutely essential to the welfare and safety of our country.

The methods, operation, and refinements of the plan to be employed in this preparedness will be the task of those trained in military matters and whose valuable advice and experience the committee will, undoubtedly, call upon before the final passage of any bill relative to universal military training.

If I appear to be unusually interested in the measure which you are now deliberating, it is because of an experience that has come not only to me as a wife and mother, but to thousands of mothers and wives throughout our land since the beginning of World War II. It is because my husband was one of the first casualties of this war. As an officer of the United States Army, he sacrificed his life in the battles of Bataan and Corregidor, during those first months of aggression by the Japanese in the Philippine Islands, when we were found to be so woefully lacking in every phase of military preparedness. I shall be forever convinced that much of the sacrifice that was made in the early stages of this global conflict-might have been averted had our country been properly prepared.

These, then, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, are the reflections of my judgment on this important question. I wish to thank you sincerely for your gracious invitation to appear before your honorable committee.

Thank you very much.

Chairman WoODRUM. We thank you very much for coming.

Mrs. ZBIKOWSKI. Thank you for the opportunity, sir.

Chairman WOODRUM. Mr. Bernard H. Sandler, of New York, is the next witness.

Won't you have a seat, sir.