Letter from Mrs. James Burr to President Harry S. Truman

October 26, 1945 The President P.P.F.200 The White House Washington, D.C. message to Congress My dear Mr. President, 10/23/45 Con B It is said that Congress now awaits the expression of opinions from the people in regard to your proposal, Mr. President, on military training. You stated in your message to Congress, sir, that no constructive alternative suggestions have been made by those leading educators, religious groups, and thinking citizens who oppose peace- time training as necessary to keeping the world at peace. I oppose your recommendation as dangerously starting all nations on the road to rearmament, universal conscrip- tion, and World War III. The United States as the strong- est country, will set the standard which all others will imitate. What alternative will Russia have but to continue delay on pressing problems, continue censorship, and strive in great haste to overtake us on atomic bomb warfare and massed armies and air forces? If ever we are in a position to stand for our principles of free speech and press and free elections, it is now. Do we expect that Russia will listen to us some time in the future because of our military strength? Her position will steadily grow stronger. Our government should immediately take advantage of the machinery set up by our World Security Organization, now in force. Let us mobilize with all the funds at our disposal the experts in our country, such as Dr. Isaiah Bowman, the geographer, to aid in settling the immediate world problems of territories, food, foreign loans, trade and tariffs. This can probably be done through the Social and Economic Council of the Organization, which can be the greatest builder of peace.