861.2222/14: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 19—2:05 p.m.]
1686. It is reported in today’s newspapers that a recent resolution of the National Defense Committee provides that beginning October 1st, universal obligatory military training of male citizens of the [Page 649] Soviet Union from the ages of 16 to 50 shall be [instituted?]. The course of training is to be of 110 hours with particular attention to drilling, rifle and machine gun shooting, the throwing of hand grenades, anti-gas defense and other similar activities. The purpose of this training is to build up pre-trained reserves for the Red army.
Commenting on the resolution in their editorials Pravda and Izvestiya state that the Soviet-German war has assumed the character of a lengthy and fierce struggle which is trying all the resources of both sides. They state that the Red army must receive trained reserves and point out that modern war requires skilled soldiers and not persons who are simply military literate.
In view of the already long hours that are being enforced in industry it will probably be impossible to carry out such a program without affecting production to a considerable extent. This step is doubtless a recognition of the seriousness of Soviet losses and the fact that hastily trained conscripts are of little use in modern war.