What They Say About the Draft
Them
OUR ARCHAIC DRAFT By Russell Kirk The "armed horde" (in the late Hoffman Nickerson's phrase) became obsolete during the First World War, probably. Certainly the military innovations of the...
...Montgomery J. Shroyer, Extension of the Draft and Related Authorities...
...One df the principal difficulties of the draft is that the troops thus raised are not effectively ready for irregular combat until they have spent months in the field...
...A listing of the names of world famous musicians, actors, orchestras, and singers who have appeared at the I.U...
...Professor John K. Galbraith: "The draft survives principally as a device by which we use compulsion to get young men to serve at less than the market rate of pay...
...This is a highly regressive arrangement which we would not tolerate in any other area...
...George Nathan 4...
...What a great power requires nowadays is an elite military force, professional in character, not unlike the regular Army of the United States before the Second World War — though somewhat larger, intensively trained, and equipped with perfected weapons...
...I suggest, in fine, that our whole concept of the mass army ought to be altered...
...Then too, this age of ritualistic luxury — crowned by the emergence of the electric toothbrush and compoz — has left the average American so debilitated and otiose that one might well wonder from whence he gets the energy to palpitate his shriveled heart...
...The ensuing debate over conscription has fused both outermost reaches of the political spectrum against the present system...
...VIEWS ON MUSIC For a view of something outside university life and the classroom, for something beyond the dimensions of the Midwest, for an exposure to culture drawn from the world of music, drama, or dance, visit the Indiana University Auditorium...
...Izler Solomon and the Indianapolis Symphony never fail to surprise the listener with some outstanding performances...
...The younger generation would be able to plan its important beginning years with far greater certainty than is now possible, and the somewhat corrosive effects upon morale of the present system of deferments and exemptions would be ended...
...Militarily, politically and socially, then, it seems desirable to end the draft . . ." r —"Should We End the Draft...
...A more compact army of volunteers, enlisted for comparatively long terms, would supply us with sufficient divisions equivalent in fighting power to the present Marines...
...We might consider, too, the strengthening of our American reserve by training young men for one or two summers, say — less costly and less disruptive than the present draft system...
...Presumably freedom of choice here as elsewhere would be worth paying for...
...Far from weakening the American military establishment, such (Continued on Page 10) WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE DRAFT Governor Ronald Reagan: "I have questioned the whole business of the draft...
...As an important added benefit a shift from compulsion to fully paid service would give us a better trained force — something that modern weapons make most desirable...
...Hearing before a Sub-committee of the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, 89th Congress, First Session, on HR 2438 (S 846), page 80...
...Auditorium would be prohibitive...
...Press conference statement, 1966, after being elected Governor of California...
...The draft is a positive good as it often insulates society from stupid people, and, at its best, even deports these dunderheads to countries of marginal civilization...
...This emotive agitation is more the symptom of an unpleasant war, an internecine rendezvous with befuddlement...
...The vast conscript army of the United States today is inordinately expensive to supply and support, not well prepared for a vigorous offensive, and necessarily composed in considerable part of men with little taste for soldiering...
...Although — these handicaps considered — American military forces have done remarkably well since the Second World War, still our present military is clumsy and wondrously costly in every respect...
...quoted by Rev...
...Certainly a voluntary system of recruitment is more compatible with past American traditions and with our concept 3 of political freedom than conscription...
...If masses of conventional infantry should be needed in a campaign these should be obtained from allies who do not and cannot possess the more expensive of modern weapons, and who do not require a centrally-based striking force readily dispatched to any part of the world...
...We shift the cost of military service from the well-to-do taxpayer, who benefits by lower taxes, to the impecunious young draftee...
...Certainly the military innovations of the Second World War made vast concentrations of half-trained and inexperienced infantrymen of little consequence — even though all belligerents continued to employ them until the end of that struggle...
...Military effectiveness — in terms of highly trained professionals instantly ready — would be greatly improved if professional motivation could be substituted for compulsion...
...Since opening in 1941, the auditorium has presented a dazzling array of orchestras, soloists, operas, plays, ballets and distinguished performers from every field of entertainment...
...We would not, as now, have a force which consists of partly trained men who leave about as soon as their training is complete...
...Under its great English conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham, the orchestra fashioned many memorable performances, some of which were (Continued on Page 12) INCITES The continuing equivocation, politicalization, and escalation of our Vietnamese summer maneuvers have exposed poor General Candy Bar's draft system to heavier bombardments than the Ho Chi Minh Trail...
...These might be supplemented by some sort of American foreign legion, not difficult to raise in these times if sufficient inducements were provided...
...The New York Times Magazine, September 27, 1964...
...Through extensive orchestra rebuilding, expert conducting, and inspired programming, this orchestra has taken its place among the major orchestras in the country...
...So if one transcends vogueish criticisms fulminating against the draft, he will find its logic gauzy and its application unwarranted...
...A booklet accompanying the Twenty-fifth Anniversary Celebration of the Auditorium (available upon request), presents an excellent account of the Auditorium's history...
...Hanson W. Baldwin, military affairs editor of The New York Times...
...If we rely upon mere masses of unseasoned infantry, inevitably we are at a disadvantage when opposed to our principal rivals in this world, Soviet Russia and Communist China, which always can put more conscripts into the field than we can...
...The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the oldest and best orchestras in London...
...An invigorating fifty mile stroll in full combat regalia will surely strengthen the feeblest constitution, and even a short exercise like bayonet practice can have a most exhilarating effect on a citizen afflicted from this coeval epidemic of "modern convenience...
...Don't miss them...
...William F. Buckley, Jr.: "The not so very long-term objective should be to eliminate the draft in favor of a professional army of volunteers, who would greatly increase the efficiency of the armed services, and relieve the civil population of an experience which, insofar as it is unrelated to true necessity, is debasing, and an unnecessary — and therefore inexcusable — encroachment on individual freedom...
...We really should not need half a million men in Vietnam, for instance, to contend against troops much inferior in numbers and equipment...
...If the military approach rather than the peace corps approach guided our Vietnamese strategy, the war would sooner come under the purview of the historian, and the local draft boards might better go about their sancrosanct business of civilizing America...
...A cultural center for the state, the Auditorium's programming shows imagination and effort...
...Pop Series, convocation lectures, arid various excellent School of Music events...
...On The Right" syndicated newspaper column, appearing in the Washington Daily News, April 24, 1964, page 27...
...I am fearful of long-time compulsory military service becoming what it was in years past in Europe, where the uniform becomes a matter of servitude, and not of patriotism...
...One might hope the draft could include physically defective creatures, but truly the system's beneficence would only dilate with the lowering of mental requirements still further (say, to include morons) and the expansion of conscription to females of average and below average intelligence (surely this will assure a plethora of laborers for menial tasks...
...One might more fruitfully question the kind of war than the kind of conscription...
...The subsidizing of masses of infantry among our allies, if necessary, would provide us with adequate reserves, garrison troops, and stationary forces on frontiers...
...Three major orchestras, the Cincinnati Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the Royal Philharmonic of London, are scheduled for I.lX this season...
...The following attractions are especially interesting for iriusic lovers.' Three world famous soloists come to Indiana this year: Henryk Szeryrig, Leontyne Price, and Rudolf Serkiri...
...I have wondered why we couldn't, with the brain power and know-how we have in this country, evolve a program of inducement to enlistment, incentives to enlist, to see if we could not switch to the voluntary system...
...there is no doubt that it would be desirable to end the draft entirely...
...The 1967-1968 season appears to be an excellent one for the music enthusiast, with attractions grouped now in three different series — Auditorium Series, Theater Series, and Extra-Concert Series...
...When will frailty and indolence cause Americans to automate the reproductive process or emunctory exercises through the technological pioneering of General Electric...
...In addition to these, there are the I.M.U...
...Serkin always electrifies audiences wherever he appears, and his performance here should prove to be an exciting evening of piano music...
...Thus, Milton Friedman, heralded by the Establishment as an economic disaster, and Barry Goldwater, the Alf Landon of our era, camouflaged as Lar Daley, have combined with little Teddy Kennedy and Gus Hall in criticizing an institution effecting society even more salubriously than either the Southern Christian Leadership Conference or the Ford Foundation...
...The finest performers available in the major entertainment fields have appeared at Indiana...
...The armed forces have always afforded a splendid physical fitness program which might well be the last hope for a languorous America...
Vol. 1 • October 1967 • No. 2
