Evening star., 1923-04-06
WEEKS DEN0UNCES
PAC|F|ST CAMPAIGN
ASPUBL|C MENACE
Propagandists for Reducing
Army and Navy Called
Enemies of Republic.
SHOWS MILITARY TAKES
SMALL PART OF BUDGET
Cost of Pensions and Veterans Blu.
reau Laid to Previous
Unpreparedness.

-Pacihst' propagandists and or
xaniHations in the United States were
denounced as public enemies today
by Secretary Weeks in statement
made public by the War Department.
Americans would do we'll. the state
nent said, ito inform themselves OF
the facts and to examine into the
character and patriotism OF those
who are promoting the pacifist cam
paign before taking step that may
readily align them with the enemies
OF the republic
Widespread circulation of 'incor-
rect and misleading statistics" Mr.
Weeks said. had been accomplished
by pacifst agencies, including those
froces i'll America that are preaching
revolution and the establishment of
r. communistic government and also
those who seem to believe that any
army or navy is unnecessary" Tn
informed but patriotic citizens ii
was added are lending themselves to
reduce if not destroy the military
safeguards OF the nation as a result
OF pacifist propaganda.
Typical OF the material that is
being used in this what seems to
me to be dangerous campaign"
the War Secretary continued lis the
following statement which appeared
in = recent bulletin of an organiza-
Ton calling itself the National
which has its headquarters in
Washington:
Figures Misleading.
Tho officially prepared chart in
closed shows that we are allowing
one-ffth OF our budget for 1924 for
the Army and Navy. More than So
per cent of that budget will so for
past and future wars"
Secretary Weeks said the chart
carried d legend stating that il had
been prepared by the tfederaD bu-
reau of efficiency from the budget
report submitted to Congress by
President Harding in December,
1922
This government is not and never
has been spending So per cent of
its budget for military purposes"
Mr.. Weeks declared. The budget re-
port of December 4. 1922. in a COM
parative tabular statement numbered
:. shows that approximately a lesser
amount Of the annual budget is being
expended for the national defense
NOW than in the fiscal year 1915. In
the latter year. 24S per cent of the
sppropria tons were for national de-
fcnse, whereas the appropriations ac-
tual1y made for the national defense
for the fiscal year 1924. were 13.o
per cent of the total.
1T is an important fact that the
paciflsts erect the figure of S5.S as a
means Of ropaganda only. When they
come to urging their views on Con-
gress they concentrate their entire
the figure of 1875 per cent for ma
tlonal defense. Never do they sug-
gest means for reducing the public
debt charges or the pension and Vet
Grams Bureau expenditures. All that
tney seek to eliminate is the rela-
lively small expenditure for military
defense of the country.
Deceiving TO Public.
Including public debt payments in
the classification Of military ex-
penditures, as in the misleading chart,
appears to have been done with the
intent to deceive the public II is in
the same dishonest category as
charging UP to the Army the civilian
work which il is obliged to perform
under acts. of Congress.
One may even question the pro-
rriety OF including the cost of the
operations of the pension bureau and
the Veterans Bureau in the list of
military expenditures. Those pro-
dls1ous costs arc to a large extent
the direct result of unpreparedness
which vas due to paciflst propa ganda
IN the past, and it is not of record
that any organization advocates the
repeal of the pension system or pro-
VISIONS for the veterans of the last
war as now provided by law. ."
Referring TO the amount actually
expended for national defense. Sec
retary Weeks declared it was so
small part of the total expenditures
mat abolfshing the Army and Navy
could result in no appreciable reduc-
tlon IN the cost of government"
The circulation of the misleading
nsureS. the Secretary continued.
creates an erroneous impression in
the public mind. is reflected in de-
nlands on Congress for further reduc-
tions in the Army and Navy, and has
the appearance of creating a public
opinion that is inimical to the ma
fionai welfare. Public opinion is the
power behind the American system Of
government. If the nation is to sur
NiVe 1t must have an intelligent pub
lie opinion. The corruption of that
opinion is an act which clearly indi-
Gates the bad faith of those who pur-
port to be actuated by sincere inter
est in the national welfare.
Americans who are asked to SUBJ
scribe to petitions or other commune
cations to Congress for reductions in
tcnsiNe services, on the plea that the
ost OF militarisnI' is a direful bur-
den on the American people. would do
well to inform themselves of the facts
and to examine into the character and
patriotism of those who are promot-
ing the pacif1st campaign before TAX
ing a step that may readily align
them with the enemies of the re-
public"
Appended to Mr. Weeks statement
was an official chart prepared by the
War Department in graphic form to
illustrate comparisons between the
Regular Army of the United States
and those of foreign powers. ACTIVE
armies" of 92S,000 men in Russia, Of
100000 in France, 275.OO0 in Japan.
100000 in Great Britain and its ter
ritorfes 100000 in Italy and 100. 900 in
Germany were compared with that of
1868 in the United States. including
the Regular Army, reserves on active
duty and the Philippine Scouts.
Dollars of national wealth. per ac-
tive army soldier were given as
s2,660,00o for the United States. $685.
900 for Great Britain. $4,000 for
for Japan.
Active armies of the world, by con-
tinents, were charted as follows:
1.646,00o men for Europe. 1890 for
Asia, b22. 900 for Africa and $4,000
6nr America