Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-25
No World Conflict, He Be-
Iieves, If U. S. Had Been
Prepared.
WARNS HUMAN NATURE
HAS NOT CHANGED ANY
Declares This Country Must Recog.
nize Existence of Envy, Jeal-
ousy and Hatred.

The United States with adequate
military preparation and under
strong leadership could have pre-
vented the occurrence of the world
war. Gen. Pershing declared today In
testifying before the Senate military
committee in behalf OF the War De-
partment's plea for an increase in
tho military establishment over that
proposed by the House.
Failure to recognize the existence
Of ENVY. jealousy and hatred" among
nations as among individuals. he said.
has invariably sent the United States
unprepared into a great crisis and
caused unnecessary loss of life and
left US staggering under financial
burdens"
Could Have Prevented War.
There is no doubt" tho chief of
stan continued, but that the civil
war might have been prevented had
the country been equipped with an
army of reasonable size. ready for i'm
mediate use. A measure Of prepared
ness. such as contemplated under the
law of 1920, would probably have
kept Us out Of the world war. At
least, it would have saved US the
allies to hold back the enemy for
moro than a year before we were
even partially prepared.
'As a matter OF fact. with ade-
quate military preparation, there can
be little question that the United
n
gether"
Gen. Pershing advocated "Regu-
lar Army in keeping with our posi-
tion among the nations" Human
nature" he said. has not changed
Of strife. Our own experience should
have taught US that the existence
Of envy, jealousy and hatred can no
more be ignored among nations than
among individuals. The friends of
today are often the enemies of to-
morrow" r-
Not sumcient Strength.
The House personnel authorization,
that "a regular establishment of
10000 men and 1900 officers was
barely Of SUFFICIENT strength" to
meet minor emergencies. garrison
overseas possessions and provide a
minimum Of instruction for citizen
forces.
Not to perpetuate the national de-
fense plan of 1920. and continue from
year to year a consistent policy OF
military preparedness, the general
said, would be to invite great embar-
rassment in time of emergency.
This is only the part of common
,nrea ond ordinary nrecQnfinnh Cen.
Pershing added. World conditions
today are not reassuring."
For all these purposes the COM
ulissioned personnel must be highly
trained from q professional stand
point. The greater the number OF
our armies be made ready and the
more ehicient will our forces be. The
mission Of the regular Army to train
the National Guard and the reserves
necessarily increases in Importance
as it's own numbers decrease. and
therefore. If its strength In officers
and men is reached beyond certain
point. 1t must abandon the principal
mission allotted to 1t and the struc-
ture fails.
Necessity Emphasised.
'The details Of requirements have
been presented to your committee by
various officers In an honest endeavor
to show the necessity for approval OF
the very moderate estimates OF the
department for officers. men and
funds This program Is Of no greater
interest to the individual Officer OF
man of the Army than it is to every
m ember Of Congress or to every voter
in the land. 1t Is the nations Army,
and we are but public servants. We
como before you not as special plead
ers nor as applicants for favors. We
have merely attempted to point out
as professional men, the means by
,.,hi ich. a reasonable measurA of ae.