, 1921-12-08

contemplate n more complete state of
preparedness than at n previous
period In the peace time history of
our country" Mr.. Weeks says. I'VE
have provided n framework for de-
Tense prepared after careful study.
We have an administrative body quail
flied TO direct and control the con-
structive development of the frnme
work. And finally we have prepared
the plans OF development. All OF his
il. however. Of slight value until the
American people, who are the source
OF material for the body of our de-
fensiye structure. throw themselves
whoieheartedly into the work.
ITO insure success. they must lend
financial support to the limit OF the1
insurance demanded. The young men
of the country must train themselves
to be fitted into their places in the
national reserve. The industries must
perpare TO cooperate in war time pro-
duction.
"The American people have started
along this path and they cannot af-
ford TO turn back.
1.-THE present period. marking NJ
transition from the high efficiency
which we achieved during tho world
war at tho cost of a great initial waste
Of life and treasure as tho penalty of
unpreparedness. must be character
ICED as one of the most important In
our history by virtue OF the duty
which It imposes upon us OF insuring
thai the lessons OF the great war are
not lost. but that they are perpetuated
in enduring forms Of organization and
continuing policy"
While outlining fully the e~xtraordin,
airy steps taken by the department 10
reduco expenditures and renewing
pledges to keep a firm hand on the
purse strings in all that is done, Mr..
Weeks points out the places where
in his opinoin too great a limitation
upon appropriations will strike down
tho machinery OF self defense that
has been devised and make lessons
of the war valueiess TO generations tc
come.
Step by step. he tells how the new
army the regulars, the national
guard and the organized reserve-has
been brought into being. The ina
jor function of the regular army. h,
says. is to provide corps of trained
instructors in order that the reserv
elements OF the force shall not b.,
subjected to the excessive danger
that confront raw troops" If called
for a war emergency.
For this purpose 1t was essential
Mr.. Weeks says, that the regular
army have a large surplus of Officers
to do this training of reserve person
mel. He adds that ven IL the regu-
lar army zig maintained at Its pres
emit dangerously low strength with
many officers released for training
work by consolidation of units 1.-THE
present commissioned strength will
be Insufficient to fulfill h function |
required by national do.snse pol
icy when that policy attains It's reali
zation through acceptance of military |
training by the American people"
"As we decrease the size of our
standing army" the secretary asserts
I'VE should increase the activity o.
our Institutional work among citizens
We cannot afford to let the mum
bers of u regular officers decline
Neither can we afford to permit their
quality TO be lowered
Declaring that at present the ma
ton can obtain from the military, AGA
denny approximately only one-third
OF the requirements for tho peace TIM |
Organization of the army Mr.. Weeks ,
expresses the belief ..that the question |
OF h ACCESSIBILITY OF doubling the ca |
pacity of this institution in the near |
future should. be given consideration
''This STEP" he adds, would pre- I
pare us for effective solution Of a prob /
lem that now appears inevitable"
Asserting tnat there is mo longei
a doubt that graduates of the re /
serve officers training corps machin |
cry viii constitute the main source of |
supply for reserve officer materia |
needed to fill out the skeleton organ |
~ization, Mr.. Weeks says the appro-
priations now available for the sum
mer training camps for such officers
limit the work to a total of 11.os5-
II earnestly hope he addst that
the authorization for the following
years VIII be increased to enable us
to handle at least a majority of those
who apply for this training"
Parralleling the plans for mobili
zation of the army in the event of war,
Mr.. Weeks shows. runs a similar
work in connection with industries
which is meeting hearty cooperation
among business interests Also there
is going forward a study of all me
chanicel and other developments In
order tina there shall be no tagging
in the technique of war behind the
technique OF peaceful industry. "Pi-
lot types of new equipement, from
the infantry hand grenade to the
heaviest gun OF the artillery" the re
port says, are being produced and as
they are fully tested and approved
will gradually supplant existing stand
ard types 10th with the troops and Il
the scheme OF quantity production l
war that underlies the departments
efforts.
; Similar studies as h poison gas
and chemical warfare matters gener-
ally n inprosress, Mr.. Weeks says.
adding:
Thought we may be opposed in
principle to the use Of poison gas. 1
OF the opinion that we cannot safe
ly presume a similar attitude on the
part of possible opponents and neglect
the development of chemical weapons
II we wish to insure a successful de-