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    "localId": "183567713",
    "label": "Fourth Draft, Commencement Speech of President Harry S. Truman at Princeton University",
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    "title": "Fourth Draft, Commencement Speech of President Harry S. Truman at Princeton University",
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        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
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            "logicalDate": "1947-05-01",
            "month": 5,
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    "seq": 6,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "Weakness on our part would stir fear among small or weakened\nnations that we were giving up our world leadership. It would\n9'\nseem to then that we lacked the will to fulfill our pledge to aid free\nand independent nations to maintain their freedoms, or our commitments\nto aid in restoring war-torn economies. In such an atmosphere of uncer\nTHE\ntainty, these nations might not be able to resist the encroachments of\n\"MATIONAL\nARCHIVES ANO\nRECORDS\ntotalitarian pressures. the must not let friendly nations go by default.\nSERVICE\nA few days ago, I sent to the Congress a Report outlining a\nprogram designed to provide this country with the military strength whieh\nrequired to support\nessential to the successof our foreign policy until such time\nas the growing authority of the United Nations will make\nsuch strength absolate. That Report was prepared by an Advisory Common\nunnecessary n\nsion of distinguished citizens, one of whom was President Dodds. The\nCommission reported its belief that the United States should have small\nprofessional arned forces. These should be supported by a reserve of\n10\ntrained citizens, derived from a carefully~planned program of universal\ntraining for young men. Without such training, in the opinion of the\nCommission, we can not maintain effective reserves. Hence the Commission\nregards universal training as an essential\nelement in a balanced program for security.\nthe\nUniversal training represents the most democratic, most econ-\nthe\nomical, and most effective method of maintaining the military strength we\n1\nneed. It is the only way that such strength can be achieved without\na\nimposing a ruinous burden on our economy through the maintenance of ,large\nstanding armed forcef.\nThe justification for universal training\nis its military necessity. However, it is a matter of deep concern to\nshall\nwill\nme that the training program be carried out in a hamer that whald contri-\nA\nbute materially to the health and character of our young men. I am certain\nmanner"
}