Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-03
MERGER Of WAR
AND NAVY POSTS|S
PLAN Of HARDING
BY RoBERT T. SMALL
lLeased Wire Service to The Journal.

lIeaSed Wire Service To The Journal
Copyright, l921.l
MARION, Ohio, March 2.-One Of
the big policies of the Harding ad-
ministration about to be announced
will be the combining of the war
and navy departments under one
head The plans to this end have
not progressed very far as yet. but
Mr.. Harding stated today that John
w Weeks, of SsachuSetts who is
to be secretary of war, and Edwin
DENLY, of Michigan, who is to be
secretary of the navy, have accepted
these cabinet posts with the under
standing that they will work to-
view of an amalgamation of the two
departments.
Under the plan as it now is being
considered, both offices of secretary
of the navy and secretary of war
will be abolished and in their stead
would be created ministry or de-
partment of national defense. Under
the secretary of national defense
there would be three departments,
the air service being given rank
virtually equal to that of the army
and navy.
These three services would be
presided over Immediately by under
sectaries of national defense for
war. for the navy, and for air.
Closest Cooperation Desired.
The proposed amalgamation of the
armed services is a part and parcel
of Mr.. Harding's very earnest desire
to bring about a simplification of
the governments method of doing
business Mr.. Harding has been con-
sidering the matter for some time
and has expert advice from all the
various angles of what would seem
at first a very complicated PROPOSE
ton. The president-elect believes
that in the last analysis, however,
the solution will prove very simple:
The closest cooperation is deSlr-
able at all times between the army
and the navy. This is particularly
true in the matter of economy in
time of peace. 1t is equally true in
the matter of effective operation
against the enemy in time of war.
The statement has been made to
Mr.. Harding that during the recent
war the United States lost millions
of dollars as a result of the COM
petitive buying of the war and navy
departments. Each department head
make the best possible showing.
The war department bitterly COM
planned during the first months of
the war that the navy department,
being better equipped for action
gobbled up all the available sup
plies in the open market and left the
war department to shift for itself as
Would Retain Traditions.
Under the Harding plan the army
and navy services would keep their
own personnel, their own staff de-
partments and their own traditions,
but in all the larger matters of poll
cy they would be under Il single eX-
ecutive head. Under this plan, fur
thermOre, the advocates of a min
lStry of air would come into their
own.
At present there is an army avia-
ton service, q naval aviation se1V-
ice. p marine aviation service and
postal aviation service. Whether
the postal service would be combined
with the others as part of the sys-
tenn of national defense remains to
be worked out, but having so close
relationship of the training of
skilled flyers, who would be 1nval,
that eventually it would be included
in the general air service.
Many of the best students of avi-
alton have declared no real progress
could be made in this country ex-
cept through a combination of effort.
Secretary of the Navy Daniels has
been a stumbling block in any sug-
gested combination of the army and
naval services. He has been jealous
- Il. RI inc no
war was keenly delighted that the
navy made better flying progress
than the army. Mr.. Harding would
not wipe on. friendly rivalry between
the services, but desires that in the
common good the latest developments
in either service shall be the prop
erty of both.
sound Military Policy
From a sound military point of
view as we'll as from the standpoint
of economy, the president-elect be-
lieves a great stride forward would
be made in the combining of the two
departments and the creation of the
air service as the third arm Of the
new department Of national defense.
Legislative action will be required.
of course. to accomplish the ends de-
sired, and Mr.. Harding as president,
bers of the senate and house com
mittees on naval and military af-
fairs before attempting to work out
the details of the amalgamation.
The plan, as will be readily seen, in
wolves necessary changes in the con-
gressional committee system also,
the existing committees on ma val and
military affairs being abolished in
favor of a house and senate commit
tee on national defense
Pending the amalgamation OF the
army and navy departments, the new
secretaries of these services in the
Harding cabinet will set about soon
after March 1, to reOrganize their re-
spective departments completely In
the war department this will in
volve, among oth4r things. the ear
lv appointment Of new chief CT
staff. the present chief, General !
March, being generally credited with !
having influenced Secretary Baker in |
much that he has done, whether for