Statement by the President on the Need for Maintaining the Draft.

THE RECURRING political talk about a possible early ending of the draft is, I believe, hurtful to America's security interests throughout the world.

All America longs for a peaceful world based on justice in which the need for great armaments will no longer exist. But the cause of world peace and of confidence and tranquillity at home is not furthered by suggestions, the effect of which would be greatly to weaken our defenses.

The power of the United States is mainly what holds the world from general war, as we move continuously towards the objective of all true Americans: a just and enduring peace.

We must not be deceived when Communist power adopts a new and smiling tactic. There is no change in its fixed determination to dominate the world.

This Administration intends to protect the freedom of our people with a national security establishment of adequate strength and appropriate composition.

For twenty years or more our government alternated between costly peaks in years of military crisis and starving valleys in years of apparent calm. Twice in this generation relaxations of America's military strength have been followed by costly wars.

Now, since 1953, we have once more gained freedom from armed conflict. We must not let down our guard again. We must not by weakness invite another war.

No man can foretell the duration of this need; no matter earnestly we strive for peace based upon mutual confidence, the circumstances of today's world require strength to avoid war.

Therefore this Administration's program for national security provides for enduring and supportable military strength. Today the United States has about 2.8 million men in uniform. For an armed force in excess of 1.5 million men, experience shows that Selective Service is indispensable. The draft does more than fill up our armed strength by calling men into service. The very existence of the draft law so stimulates voluntary enlistment that, for some of the Services, draft calls are reduced or non-existent.

The constant effort in the Defense Department is to reduce the number of men in service, without damaging the nation's security. Such reduction cannot be achieved merely by tampering with the draft law.

The first requirement is to take every advantage of new advances in the technology of modern arms. That is what this Administration has done and is doing. We use rapid increases in firepower and in the speed of its delivery to replace numbers of men. We cut the strength of administrative activities in favor of combat duties. We incorporate the whole family of guided missiles and atomic weapons in our military planning and overall defense. In this way, we have produced the finest and most powerful military forces in our peacetime history.

Actually, since the close of the Korean War, we have reduced military manpower by 20%--700,000 men. We have also returned 150,000 civilians employed by the military to civilian work.

For such reasons, we have been able to reduce Selective Service calls from the 523,000 a year rate when we first took office to 136,000 in the current year.

This Administration has established many new choices of military and Reserve service. With all of these choices, no young man has to wait for the draft to plan his future. We do not propose to draft one man more than we need.

This Administration has successfully pressed for major legislation to increase voluntary enlistments and the reenlistment of men already trained, and to keep down monthly draft calls. This legislation has increased the pay and benefits of servicemen, improved the Survivors' Benefits Act, covered the Armed Forces under Social Security, improved Service housing, increased hospitalization benefits for Service families, and in other ways made Service life more rewarding.

The result has been to increase reenlistments, so necessary to our sustained strength, from 24% in 1953 to over 43% in 1956. Three-fourths of the reenlistments were for the long 6-year term.

Our country's good times have complicated the military manpower problem. Today we have the greatest prosperity and the highest level of employment in our history. This very economic health competes with the armed forces for volunteers.

We are doing our best to build a Ready Reserve that will be strong and effective, not just a paper force. We seek to build this strong Reserve, as a needed supplement to our standing forces, and as a means to hold our active duty strength at reasonable levels.

And this I have emphasized before: I am determined that through a strong Reserve, we relieve veterans from being recalled to duty in time of emergency while younger men who have not served stay at home. Selective Service is an essential stimulant for building up the necessary Reserve strength.

The Free World looks to the United States for leadership in standing firm against the Communist push. We must not now betray that leadership by loose talk of soon ending the draft. The world can only construe that as letting down our guard.

To call the draft wasteful and to term it a Maginot Line evidences either ignorance of our military needs or a willingness to take a chance with our Nation's security.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the military Chiefs of the Services, our greatest experts in these matters, have specifically supported the need for continuing the draft law.

The United States is maintaining its military strength to safeguard the American people in their homes, to deter hostile attack at home and abroad, and to encourage the prospect of world peace.

This Administration is determined to continue that strength.