Evening star., 1923-09-24

Everybody knows that the United
States was not prepared for hostil'
tiles In April, 1917, and that all thai
| saved us from reverses at the out
| start. was the defense of the asso'
| ciated nations already engaged. Al
| wars with first-class powers Will no
| give us the long interval betweeI
| declaration of war and actual hos
] tilities. such as we were obliged te
take In 1917, because of our unpre'
parsdness Americans will spring
forward by the millions over night
| when a crisis presents, just as MIR
Bryan said, but a mob of unarmed
| unframed men. is not an army, and Is
only a hindrance in the way of real
| preparedness.
No one knows, better than Cen
John j. Pershing, the necessity for
scientific preparation against a fu-
ture condition of supine unreadiness
That is why he is still on active duty
as general of the Army, chief of staff,
at present acting Secretary of War,
! and grand pooh-bah of military pre-
paredness. He might retire. but,
while distinguished for his modesty,
he Is not of the retiring kind, when
there is castle to be taken. Next
year the bugles will blow and the
grand American Army will rally once
again around Old Glory, ready to
conquer the world 1t will be mag
nifcent," but not war. There will be
no profiteers mobilized.
1t is not the plan for the United
States to maintain q great standing
army. The Regular Army la only a
nucleus to which a citizen army will
rally, already organized and trained
The Regular Army is the frst line OF
defense, on land, next comes the Ma.
tional Guard and finally the reserve
army.
u y "
Gen. Pershing has but two more
years before he must retire by rea.
son of the sixty-hve-year legal age
limit. 1t is well known that the gen.
erai is in prime health and vigor. and
feeling under no physical necessity
for ceasing activity.
n v n
Times are unwholesome for the
| whangdoedle which whangeth of dis
aster. Prosperity persisteth. This is
proved by all tests and financial
barometers.
For example, the largest increase OF
deposits that has come to the postal
savings accounts. since $780, came
last week. all over the country. The
greatest increase was in New York
City. sl24,154; second. Boston. s120,-
sos, and third, Denver, with $i1S,216
The Denver increase is by far the
greatest per capita population, and II
| Is the most significant since it Is To-
Gated near the center of the country
Uniontown, Pa, has been leaping over
the heads Of some of the greatest in
last week added s57,22s to its postal
savings.
The most interesting feature of the
postal savings lies in the fact that il
comes from wage earners. lang ana lsrgeiS
| indicates the healthy condition of in
dustrial activities, and the fact that
| the same condition Is indicated from
widely separated points, shows that
| the prosperity is not sporadic, but
extends generally over the country.
After the discovery that it had TAX
en- eight years for postal card to
travel by mail from one part OF Wash
ington to another, the department
has awakened to an oyerweening am
bition to break the record for speed
Consequently, no longer depending on
the railroads TO carry hurry-up LETT
ters from the Capital to that region
whence came the President, q special
delivery letter was given to q mar
who said he was going that way and
would just as soon take the letter a.