The New York herald., 1922-07-24
PERSHING REPORTS
ON PREPAREDNESS
Pershing Tells Weeks of His
Program to Protect the
SeacOasts.
TO PREVENT INVASION
Guardsmen Would Be Sent to
Strategic Points and Leave
Fleet Free.
TO PREVENT INVASION

| WAsHiNdroN. July 23.-Steps to es.
tablish "a national position in readiness
| for the army as development of the
national military policy are forecast In
memorandum recently submitted by
Gen. Pershing tc Secretary Weeks and
made public to-day at the War Depart
ment.
Details of such plans as may have
been already prepared by Gen. Pershing
are not disclosed. The general nature
of the project. however, contemplates
assignment Of National Guard divisions
to specific defensive positions on coasts
and borders to which they would be
rushed in the event of war.
| Under this plan" Gen. Pershing said.
the military organizations required to
secure critical landing places upon our
| coasts and favorable lines of advance
upon our land frontiers can be definitely
formed and prepared. With such Initial
organization assured, the additional mill
itary units required for the full prose-
cution of serious war can be mobiliked
at once and brought to full strength
without disturbance or Interruption.
with cur territory thus protected
against landings In force at the stayt.
and with the machinery for further mil
itary expansion fully organized. our fleet
will be free to deal with the hostile
naval forces without concern as to pos.
sible invasionS."
The plans are practicable. Gen. Per-
shing said. III we can count upon a
reasonable development of the econom-
ical military system sanctioned by the
national defense act.
with eighteen divisions and appro-
pirate auxiliaries OF the National Guard.
supplemented by the regular army. pre-
pared for necessary expansion. and with
certain special units formed In the or
ganized reserves" he continued I'VE
shall be able to cover our coasts and
land frontiers against serious Invasion
at the start
"Such military organization causes
no menace to any other nation, but as
sures the impregnability Of the con-
tinental United States In. the event OF,
attack by any possible combination"
Gen. Pershing pointed out that where
National Guard division might be as
signed "a given beach sector" for de-
fense it would be ordered when mobil-
lied at peace strength to this region,
taking up training area near enough
to the actual beach position so as to
be Immediately available. The divisions
first task would be to prepare it's beach
sector for defense. For that purpose
II is planned to provide the divisions as
a part of its regular training with an
the data and instruction necessary to
enable it to carry out that mission on
its arrival In the sector.
That done, the division would with
draw to its nearby training center and
begin bringing. It's units up to war
strength and getting togethert it's full
war equipment and undertaking its In
tensified war training Meanwhile, the
memorandum said, defense OF the actual
beach position could be left until word
from naval or. air scouts called the
troops into the prepared defenses to
meet an actual enemy attack.
The character Of our military re-
sources. as well as our attitude toward
other nations, imposes upon US an initial
strategic defensive" Gen. Pershing said.
But this does not involve renouncing
subsequent offensive.
Had the United States In the spring
Of 1917 possessed twenty-five or thirty
divisions completely organized and
equipped, but only trained sufYiciently
to meet the requirements of the national
position in readiness above outlined.
each of these divisions would have been
advanced many months as compared
with the entirely new divisions 1t was
necessary to create. Under such cir
cumstances the period for beginning of
the American offensive operations Gin
France) on large scale would have
been greatly advanced"
The memorandum points out that the
defensive machinery planned is de-
pendent upon 'the large number of war
trained officers available" and also upon
the more adequate sources Of military
equipment and material" as we'll as
upon the specific sanction given in the
national defense act.