Some day there is going to be a man sitting in my present chair who has not been raised in the military services and who will have little understanding of where slashes in their estimates can be made with little or no damage. If that should happen while we still have the state of tension that now exists in the world, I shudder to think of what could happen in this country

Summary

The quote suggests concerns about a future leader who lacks military experience and does not know where cuts can be made in military budgets without causing harm. The speaker expresses fear about the potential consequences if such a leader were to take office during a time of global tension, implying that the lack of understanding may lead to disastrous outcomes for the country.