Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-10
WEEKS URGES ALL
To BACK j. s. ARMY

DEFENSE preparations OF the army
awaits the moment when the Ameri-
can people throw themselves whole
heartedly into the work." Secretary
Weeks maintains in his annual re-
port, just made public.
"Plans now initiated for prepare
ton for national defense contem-
plate more complete state Of pre-
paredness than at any previous Pc
riod in the peace time history of our
country" Mr.. Weeks says. 1--WE
have provided a framework for de-
Tense prepared after careful study.
We have an administrative body
qualified to direct and control the
constructive development of the
framework. And finally we have
prepared the plans Of development.
All Of this is, however, Of slight val
ue until the American people, who
are the source Of material for the
body of our defensive structure,
throw themselves Fundamentally in
to the work.
ITO insure success, they must lend
financial support to the limit of the
insurance demanded. The young
men of the country must train them
selves to be fitted into their places
in the national reserve. The indus
tries must prepare to cooperate in
wartime production.
1.-THE American people have started
along this path and they cannot at
ford to turn back.
1.-THE present period, marking a
transition from the high efficiency
which we achieved during the World
war at the cost of a great initial
waste Of life and treasure as the
penalty Of unpreparedness, must be
characterized as one Of the most i'm
portant in our history by virtue Of
| the duty which it imposes upon US
of insuring that the lessons Of the
great war are not lost, but that they
are perpetuated in enduring forms
Of organization and continuing pol
ICY"
While outlining fully the extraor
| binary steps taken by the depart
| ment to reduce expenditures and re-
| newing pledges to keep a firm hand
on the purse strings in all that is
done, Mr.. Weeks points out the
places where, in his opinion, too
great a limitation upon appropria-
lions will strike down the machin-
| cry Of self-defense that has been de-
vised and make lessons of the war
valueless to generations to come.
Function of Army
| Step by step, he tells how the new
army-the regulars, the National
Guard and the Organized reserve
has been brought into being. The
major function Of the regular
army, he says, is to provide corps
of trained instructors in order that
the reserve elements Of the force
shall not be Subjected to the ex-
cessive dangers that confront raw
| troops" if called for war emer-
! gency.
| For~thiS purpose it was essential,
Mr.. Weeks says, that the regular
army have a large surplus of Off.
GERS to do this training Of reserve
personnel. He adds that even if the
| regular army "iS maintained at it's
| present dangerously low strength"
with many officers released for train
| ing work by consolidation of units,
"the present commissioned strength
will be insufficient to fulfill the func-
| lions required by our national de-
| Tense policy when that policy at
tains it's realization through accept
ance of military training by the
American people,"
LAS we decrease the size of our
standing army" the secretary as
serts, 1--WE should increase the activ-
1ty OF our Institutional work among
citizens. We cannot ford to let
the numbers of our regular officers
| decline. Neither can we afford to
permit their quality to be lowered. I"
| Declaring that at present the ma
| ton can obtain from the military
academy approximately only one
| third of the requirements for the
| peace-time organization Of the army,
MIR. Weeks expresses the belief "that
| the question Of the advisability OF
| doubling the capacity of this insti-
| tuition in the near future should be
given consideration"
This STEP" he adds, would pre-.
| pare us for eff" tive solution Of a.
problem that now appears inevita-
ole"
Asserting that there is ''no longer
| a doubt" that graduates of the re-
serve officers training corps machin-
cry will constitute the main source
| of supply for reserve officer material
| needed to fill out the skeleton organi
cation, Mr.. Weeks says the appro-
! prlations now available for the sum.
mer training camps for such officers
limit the work to a total of 11,085.
Poison Gas Studies
Il earnestly hope" he adds, "that
| the authorization for the following
years will be increased to enable us
to handle at least a majority of those
who apply for this training"
Paralleling the plans for mobiliza.
| ton of the army in the event of war,
| MIR. Weeks shows, runs a similar
work in connection with industries
which is meeting hearty cooperation
among business interests. Also
| there is going forward study of all
mechanical and other developments
| in order that there shall be no flag
| ging in the technique of war behind
| the technique of peaceful industry"
Pilot types of new equipment, 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
| standard types both with the troops
and in the scheme of quantity pro-
| duction in war that underlies the de-
! partment's efforts.
Similar studies as the poison gas
and chemical warfare matters gener
| ally are in progress, Mr.. Weeks says,
adding:
Though we may be opposed in
| principle to the use Of poison gas, l
| am of the opinion that we can not
| safely presume similar attitude on
the part of possible opponents and
neglect the development Of chemical
weapons if we wish to insure a sue.
| cessful defense in possible war. 1
hope for continued support Of this
| activity by congress and by the
| chemical industries themselves"
/ aonlirn NTH the air daNelQn: