The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-07-24
General Pershing Gives War Department
Coast and Frontier Defense Project
Contemplate Continental Sc
curity from Invasion BY
Deft Assignment Of Nation,
al Guard and Organized
Reserve Units, F re eing
Fleet to Deal With Hostile
Nations-PIan Purely One
Meeting Attack. v+sksaAa'

Washington. July 23.-Stsps to esos-
Nsh "a national position IN rsadtnssG
for the army as development q me
ma tional military police are forsca1 N
memorandum recently submitted BY
General Pershing to Secretary weeks
and made public today 1t the war de-
partment
Details OF such plans as may have
been already prepared by General Pefsn'
ing are not disclosed. The general ma
,ure Of the project however. contem.
nlates 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" General Pershiny
said. the military organizations re-
ouired to secure critical landing places
upon our coasts, and favorable lines OK
advance upon our land frontiers, can
be- deftly formed and prepared With
such initial organization assured. the
additional military units required tor
tho full prosecution OF serious war
can be modified at once and brought
TO full strength without disturbance or
interruption.
Ire0B xlocL ACeAon
with our territory thus protected
against landings in force at the stafL
and with the machinery for further
military expansion fully organized. our
feet will be free ~ deal with hostile
national forces without concern as 10
possible invasion"
The plans are practicable, General
Pershing said. III we can count upon .
reasonable development Of the econom-
ical service sanctioned by the national
defense act"
with IS divisions and appropriate
auxiliaries OF the national guard sup
plemented by tho regular army pre-
pared for necessary expansion. and with
certain special units formed In tho or
eanized reserves" he continued. we
shall he able to cover our coasts and
land frontiers against serious invasion
az the start.
no Nation Ksnaesd
"Such military organization causes
no menace to any other nation but as
sures tho impregnability Of the contin
entail United States in the event OF at
tack bv an possible combination.
General Pershing pointed out that
where a national guard division might
be assigned "a given beach sector foy
defense, II would be ordered when mo.
biltzed at peace strength to this region
taking UP training area near enough
TO the actual beach position 80 as to %
| Immediately available. The division
first task would be to prepare Its beach
sector for defense. For tkat purpose IL
Is planned to provide the division. as 4
part Of it's regular training. with all
the data and instructions necessary to
enable It to carry out that mission on
It's arrival In the sector.
Dtrats91o Dsfsuss
That done, the division would with.
draw to It's nearby training center ana
begin bringing its units up to war
strength and eetting together It's fun
war equipment and undertaking It's In.
tens,ned war training. Meanwhile. the
! N memorandum said, defense Of the actual
h.ach position could be left until word
Sro-, naval or air scouts called the
troops into tho prepared defenses 20
meet any actual enemy attack.
9TH. character Of our military re.
.ources a, we'll as our attitude toward
other nations imposes upon us
itial strategic defense" Genera
ing said. But this does not ln.oi'e TO-
nouncing a subsequent defennve.
Had the United States IN the syns
OF 1917 possessed twenty nVe OF e"lty
divisions completely orsanlseo u
.ouipped. but only trained sufno.en.H
n meet the requirements or ene asaon'
al nosjtion IN readiness above oouineu.
.sch Of these divisions would nave ooeL.
advanced many months az eompu
! with the entirely new olV1s'on' "
! necessary to create