Expected To Urge Military Training

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1948, Page 5

Expected To Urge Military Training

TRUMAN

WASHINGTON, Tue. (1.30 p.m.).—The Army has asked its legal experts for a ruling’ whether 1,323,000 officers and/ men of the organised reserve who served in the last war can be recalled to active duty without an act of Congress. The United Press says this was brought out In a survey of the military manpower situation on the eve of President Truman’s foreign policy message to Congress in which the President is expected to renew his plea for universal military training.

The survey showed that 1,273,000 officers and men were on active duty in the army, navy and air force and 226,000 available for Presidential call in the National Guard. Over 12,000,000 ex-servicemen are on call in the vast unorganised reserve created by a little-known clause of the selective service law which provides that all discharged draftees go automatically on to reserve status for 10 years or until aged 45. ADDITIONAL 2,000,000 Officials have said, however, that Congressional action will be required to recall these men. It is estimated that if the draft is revived for men who did not serve in the last war, an additional 2,000,000 men will be available. Mr Truman today invited the presiding officer of the Senate (Mr Arthur Vandenberg), the House Speaker (Mr Joseph Martin), the Senate Democratic leader (Mr Alben Barkley) and the House Democratic leader (Mr Samuel Raybury) to a White House conference tomorrow before his foreign policy message to Congress. The White House announced the invitation without elaboration, but presumably the President wants to discuss his speech. SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT President Truman will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday at 12.30 Washington time (05.30 New Zealand time, Thursday) on the “critical foreign situation.” This was announced from the White House. The speech, which obviously will be of the highest importance because of its timing, will be broadcast by all major radio networks.

The announcement was a surprise to Congress and State Department officials.

Officials on Capitol Hill said the President was expected to report on the entire world situation and might lay special emphasis on recent Russian encroachments on Finland and Norway.

He was also expected to discuss the situation in Italy. The Speaker of the House of Representatives (Mr Joseph Martin) told Reuters that Mr Truman telephoned him only 30 minutes before the White House issued its announcement, and said: “I have some information I want to give Congress before it leaks out.” SECRET CONFERENCES The announcement followed a series of secret conferences of the nation’s leaders, including one conference between the Secretary of Defence (Mr Forrestal) and the joint Chiefs of Stall of the armed services, at the Key West, Florida, naval base. It is expected that Mr Forrestal will report to Mr Truman before Wednesday on attempts to formulate a plan of unified strategy to defend the United States against attack. President Truman is expected to submit a comprehensive “preparedness” programme based on United States supremacy in air power, says Reuters Washington correspondent. Such a programme would be designed to back up the United States against any consequences which might follow complete fulfilment of the pledge in tiie Truman doctrine, that the United States would support any European country resisting totalitarian pressure. “It is understood that there is strong pressure on the President to call for a comprehensive mobilisation of United States forces,” the correspondent adds.

“Measures under discussion in responsible circles here include: “(T) A revival of conscription. “(2) Establishment of war powers over industry.

“(3) Restoration of lend-lease. “(4) Declaration of a state of national emergency.” BACKING WESTERN UNION?

Both the New York Times, in an editorial article, and the Herald- ' Tribune, in a despatch from Washington, suggest that Mr Truman might announce American plans to support the alliance now being formed by Britain, France and the Benelux countries as the nucleus for the common defence of Western Europe. The New York Times says: “The alliance is pssured the tacit support of the United States, but Mr Truman’s decision to address Congress suggests that this support may be made more explicit.”

The Herald-Tribune correspondent says it is reported in Washington that the Administration has decided that the new alliance must be backed by some form of military commitment from the United States.

prevent a further spread, of Communism in Europe. He was urging Congress to vote $275,000,000 of military aid to Greece and Turkey, to which countries $400,000,000 were voted in 1947. “By intimidation and frank terror, Communist regimes have been imposed on Hungary and Czechoslovakia. “Totalitarian control has boon tightened in other Eastern European countries, and these states have been linked in a network of alliances. “Other European peoples face a similar threat of being drawn against their will into the Communist orbit.” SHIPS FOR ITALY Mr Marshall said the United States should avoid "hasty action which could lead to dissipation of our resources, or fear which could lead to sterile inaction.” He then said: “With calm deliberation we must pursue the policy confirmed last May by Congress.” [Congress last May first approved aid to Greece and Turkey in response to the ‘Truman Doctrine” message promising aid to peoples resisting totalitarian pressure.! Mr Truman today ordered the transfer of 29 merchantmen to Italy as a gesture of American goodwill. Fifteen .vessels are the Liberty type and the remainder are Italian snips seized during the war. A State Department official said it was “a happy coincidence” that the vessels should be transferred 33 days before the Italian elections.

FATEFUL HOUR

“The hour is far more fateful now than it was a year ago,” said Mr Marshall, when addressing the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate. He added that the United States must act “with calm determination” to