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From The Militant, Vol. IX No. 24, 16 June 1945, p. 6.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
Inside information as to the purpose of the unprecedented demand for peacetime military conscription came from a member of the Senate Military Affairs Committee. Writing in the June 11 issue of The Progressive, Edwin C. Johnson, a Democratic Senator from Colorado said:
“Certainly Congress should examine the backers of the proposal and explore some of their motives. America has a well-organized group of capitalists – the dollar diplomacy crowd – who are looking the world over right now for profitable investments for themselves and their clients ... They must have the protection of our flag. Therefore, they would have a conscript American army to awe and put the fear of God in puny foreign rulers.”
Senator Johnson then asks:
“Against whom do we need a gigantic army of foot soldiers anyway? Certainly not against Germany and Japan! Certainly ‘unconditional surrender’ will not permit war machines in these countries to rebuild. Then, against whom are we rearming? Against Mexico? South America? China? Britain? Russia? Let the proponents answer.”
And he concludes with this challenge:
“Let the people of the United States decide that issue then. I dare the proponents of compulsory military training to leave the decision to the people.”
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Last updated on 7 November 2018