The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-12-02
MEN AND OFFICERS
NEEDED IN ARMY
Secretary Weeks In Annual Report Calls
for Development of Air
Power Also

WASHINGTON. Dec. 2.-The pres
cnt authorized regular army strength of
1900 officers and 125,0O0 men is in
adequate for national safety, and fur
Their cuts would be ''inexcusable," Sec
rotary Weeks declared today in his an
nual report to congress.
we should seize the first opportunity
TO bring the regular army back to the
proportions which are cequired.' ne
wrote. I'VE can not ever again make
the mistake of expecting good soldiers to
rise over night and good officers to be
turned out in quantities in three months
periods.
We are making progress. and any
progress is good progress. This prog
ress is, however. scant and not really
lseneugh. Any further cuts would force
us 70 lose what we have gained, and
would accordingly be inexcusable.
1T has taken time and money to build
what we have. 1t has taken blood and
money to prove that we have not, even
now. what we need. We should when
practicable add to what we have and
attain TO the progress called for in our
defense project under the terms of the
law
Declaring the officer corps lis really
the backbone of our military system"
Mr.. Weeks said that security for the flu
ture must rest upon the foundation of
our leadership"
ours is the best in the world" he con-
tinued 1T is because ! appreciate him
that / emphasize the need for officers to
give the soldier his best opportunity to
fight for his country and for his life
I'VE must have officers sufficient to
handle the great army of the United
States. We have not these officers now. !"
The secretary also recommended early
legislation to provide definitely for fill
ing vacancies to the grade of colonel and
lieutenant colonel partly from the accel-
Grated list and partly from the seniority
list
As to the technical preparations of the
army since the war; he said
I'm nearly all directions we have
proven our ability to develop equipment
that is inferior to none. Particularly in
the direction of air development we have
shown progress in types.
I'm spite of this gratifying progress,
we are behind our program in several re-
spects, due TO the financial situation
which has reduced our support of some
activities. We have not made the ex-
perimental progress in mOtorizatiOn of
artillery transport that is TO be hoped
for. nor in the development of improved
tanks.
Above all we are short in the develop
ment of air power. We have scarcely
the present store of effective planes that
we would need in an emergency nor the
complete facilities Tor training the per-
sonnel that we shall need in war. The
national regulation of air activities and
the provision of a system of airways are
matters which are essential to the de-
yelopment of air power.
Some steps in the direction of at
!; least providing an effective plan for our
development of air power should be
taken at once. and as our fnances are
improved. the actual building of the
emergency stores.
Finally. we should not slack in the
training of our citizens in the simplest
technique of war, the handling of Amer
icas weapon-the rifie-nor in the fur
Their Development of this important
weapon,