New Britain herald., 1922-04-25
Pershing Argues For an
 Increase In Military Establishment Over That Proposed By House
Weeks Also Pleads for Stronger Forces and Asks Development of Aviation Branch of Service.


 Washington, April 25.-The United States with adequate military prep aration and under strong leadership" could have prevented the occurrence of the World War" Gen. Pershing de- clared today in testifyng before the senate military committee in behalf of the War departments plea for an increase in the 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 "unnec- essary loss of life and left us stag gering under financial burdens"
 Weeks Makes Plea.
 The 1000 enlisted strength army bill passed by the house provides military structure "below the safe minimum requirements" of the nation. Secretary Weeks told the senate ap- propriations committee today in urg- ing that appropriations for the next fiscal year permit force of 5000 of ficers and 150, ,0Oo men to be main- tained in the regular army. Should the house proposals prevail. he added. not only would the regulars suffer but overseas garrisons would be ''inad- cquate" and the development of cit izen components ot our national de- fense system" would be seriously checked
 Must Force Possibilities.
 'l am aware Of no issue that at the time threatens to involve us in inter- national complications" Mir. Weeks said. 'There is no evidence of for eign designs against us We must, however. recognize that throughout the greater part of the world condi- ton of Instability prevails which ren- ders the permanencc of world r~>ee uncertain.
 Tt is certain that to remain weak and unpropared in the face of such 8 situation is to invite aggression. It is moreover. essential not only that we maintain a reasonable state of pre- parcdness but that it should be matter of international knowledge that we are so prepared.'
 AGUuS Ntt'lIS NtduuUS
 Army needs stability" more than anything else, Mir Weeks said re- counting the double cut in the strength of the force made last year and tho consequent congratulations required.
 If this situation is to continue from year to year" he added, it must have a serious effect on the development of our whole system of national de- fense"
 Mir. Weeks said the house bill made Inadequate provision for the healthy growth of the National Guard and for it's proper field training" As to the or- ganized reserves he pointed out that it was sought in peace times only to create the officer framework and the annual training of the reserve officers on whom the wartime machine would depend. The War department had asked only funds to train 20,0o0 of the 65,0oo reserve officers during the coming year "as no adequate provi- sion for keeping up their train- ing since the war had been made he said .-.
 Mir. Weeks said he was much im- pressed with the testimony already be- fore the committee as to the "phys- cal, moral and educational value of training Statement by gov ernors, educators and others on the point had been most impressive'' he said and in this opinion these cola- teral non-miIitary benefits alone a,.tr, . plans and the expense they involved.
 Army school system
 The army service school system was of vital importance in any national preparedness plan, the War secretary declared
 Tt is an interesting fact" he added that although our army school sys- tenn was only partially developed be- for the war its graduates furnish ed a very large percentage of those officers who were most conspicuously successful in the days of actual war"
 As to the gas warfare work of the army, Mir. Weeks said that while ulti- mate abolishment of such warfare might come by international agree ment it would be fatal for us to give up the series of experiments and investigations which were conducted during the war and have been car. ricd on since" until that moment has As to aviation ne expressed the opinion that the provision for it's development in the army should be larger than the department was now asking, adding;
 T do not hesitate to predict that in any future war it's importance will be greatly increased.'