New-York tribune., 1922-09-20
Military Chiefs
Rack Y eteralls'
Bic Army Plea
aeeks aud Pershing Send
Messages of Approval 10
rx. Officers Order ut
Atlantic City Meeting
President Endorses W orL
secretary Warns Against
False Sense of Security
after a Victorious War

.TIANTIC CITY, Sept. 10. The
.,,enance by this country of greater
.g.ary forces for national defense as
..ms,dcd Of Congress by the Military
e,ser Of the World War in biennial
,s;on here. to-day received the in
.r.emeat Of Secretary of War John
i Weeks, General John ]. Pershing
md o.acr government officials.
., know tbst a nation emerging VIC
...;.n. from war may be luiled into
disc sense Of security" said let
- aaa,essed by Secretary Weeks TO
~, General George II. Harries, COM
s.ndsr in chief of the military order,
mhieb IS composed of commissioned
,,s,s,sns Of the World War. ut is you
vso must see that the country does
not become apathetic TO a point that
is safety is endangered.
General Pershing declared that the
rstiou still needs 10000 men to per
nit the War Department to carry out
.Ae purposes Of the national defense
&C. Of June, 1920" Senator James w
gsdsworth js.. of New York, wired g
lore "that this organization will con.
arse with increasing strength anc
..as be in a position to give support
"a legislation in Congress intended tt
ao,ort the army of the United
safes
Harding Approves OF Work
President Harding, expressing re
gret that he was unable to attend the
convention, sent letter approving The
verk Of the order, which has beer
esvressly directed toward bringing
sbout full enforcement of the war de
;snse act The messages from the
government officials were read tonight
:, banquet at Hotel Ambassador
which was attended by hundreds OF
Uniformed members of the army, navy,
sr and marine forces. as we'll as mill
AIRY attaches of the British, French
Belgian and Italian embassies at
Washington.
Secretary Weeks's message to the
t,nvention follows:
@To you who sprang to the defense
4 your country in the late war, the
gestion of national defense for the
tuture must be of prime importance.
representing every section OF our
country, holding the positions you do
within your communities, it is you
who must see that the country does
not become apathetic to a point that
It's safety is endangered. I have no
brief to hold for militarism; no desire
be forever clashing the sword and
hield but with the lessons of the
merging victorious from war may
se lulled into a false sense of Sc
Iarity Adequate defense for the
Ifature from possible enemies, external
md internal, is all that is asked"
Pershing Speaks of Orders Aims
General Pershing introduced his
sSsage to the veterans with assur-
sees that he knew the policies and
ms Of the order TO be in harmony
nth those of the War Department.
Recent legislation has amelioratet
ise crisis which confronted the per
isnnel of our regular establishment,
General Pcrshing continued. eve still
aeed, in my opinion, 10000 men t.
permit the War Department to carr.
oat the purposes of the national de
isnse act of June, 1920. 1t is gratifying
70 feel that the success of the 'on
amy idea is now assured and it
further expansion is limited only b,
The funds appropriated. Our best ef
forts should be directed toward ;
steady and healthy increase in the Re
serve Corps, the National Guard an,
the R, 0. T. C. Much larger number
should be given training each summer
with constant increase in the numbe
Of reserve officers employed as in
atructors in these camps"
After setting forth It's stand on ne
''onai defense, the convention to-day
declared there were over 100000 vet
eran officers Of the World War in thi:
country, and approved plan, spon
TG TqFed by. Brigadier General Frank T
names, for bringing the membership
'l sne order to 100000 by 1890.