Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-02
j. 8. ARMY TOO
SMALL, WEEKS
WARNS S0[ONS
Now Inadequate for Ma
tional Defense, Says
War Secretary Report.
Further Reductions In
excusable; 1000 New
Officers Are Needed.

Washington, Dec. 1.-The present
authorized regular army strength OF
$4,000 officers and 125,oOo men Is
inadequate" for national safety. and
further cuts would be 'inexcusable,"
Secretary Weeks declared Friday IN
his annual report to congress.
I'VE should seize the first opportun-
ity to bring the regular army PACK 10 {,
the promotions which are required,
he wrote. 1--WE cannot ever again
make the mistake of expecting good
soldiers to rise overnight and good o.
ficers to be turned out in quantities III
three months periods.
1--WE are making progress. ana any
progress is good progress. inns prog
ress is, however. scant, and not reails
enough. Anv further cuts would force
rs 10 lose what we have gained ana
would accordingly be inexeusable.
1T has taken time and money to
huild what we have. 1t has taken blood
and money to prove that we nave NOT
even now. what we need. We should,
when practicable. add to what we nave
and attain to the progress called Tor
in our defense project under the terms
of the law
Officers Are Needed
Declaring the officer corps rs really
the backbone of our military system,
Mr.. Weeks said that security for the
future must rest upon the foundation
of our leadership.
Il do not belittle the enlisted men
ours is the best in the world ne
continued 1T is because ! appreciate
him that | emphasize the need Tor OF
ficers to give the soldier his best OPP
portunity to fight for his country ana
for his life.
We must have officers sufficient to
handle tbe great army Of the United
States. We have not these officers
now. CO.
Our reserve officers are the tlrss
to complain that their present lack OF
training is causing them to lose the
knowledge that they gained in the war
Where is there any training TO come
from? Only through the regular Of
ficers.
In my last annual report ! stated
that, with 1900 officers authorized:
we would not have enough to do all
that might profitablF done. Now
must state that we have absolutely not
enough to do what is necessary to our
safety as an organized state,
wants ,UUU MORE
Il appreciate the urgency OF our
financial situation that prevents us
from reaching our maximum require
ments. ! cannot believe, however, that
the Importance Of this need Is fully
recognized BY all who do recognize
the urgency of the financial problem
Il earnestly advocate reconstItut-
ing of our officer body to minimum
e q nnn of tho p9rlIpSt dAtp
Mr.. Weeks said he was confronted,
like most of his predecessors, with the
necessity Of appearing before a peace
lovingpeople TO urge bluntly and earn
estly the continued attention to their
needs for defensive preparedness"
NY conclusions are not entirely well
come at this time, when people have
been hoping that nations had learned to
avoid conflicts Of force" he continued.
"Iy conclusions are. nevertheless. that
we should continue to prepare for such
conflicts.
Laxity May Be Punished
"If it is unwelcome it is no less
true that Americans, like all other peo-
pies, are subject to the law which pun
ishes those nations who fail to prepare
for defense. as well as those who fail
to strive for peace.
We are flSul 10 leei COHitutHI III
our strength. But we shall never
deserve and fulfill our destiny except
through the study of our past faults
and the painful eradication of defects.
A true American must be not only
proud OF our unvarying successes, but
also humbly aware that many of these
successes were barely won, and that
in all Of our conflicts success came
only after the sacrifice of many brave
souls, to our indulgence of the ten
dency TO be unready.'
Reverting to the present status of
the military establishment, Mr.. Weeks
said that under the stress Of econ
omy" every element Of the army's
preparedness program ''in any sense
non-essentiar' had been eliminated and
there remand only the bare frame
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