San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-11
MALONE TALKS
PREPAREDNESS
7 0 STUDENTS
Victory Has Made Nation
Obvious Of Frightful
Cost, He Says.
LIFE TOLL TOO HIGH
Praises Defense Act for
Fitting Men Of Nation
for Service. .

military Training" was the sub
iect of a lecture delivered Thursday
afternoon at . o'clock by Brig. Gen.
Paul b. Malone. commandant of the
summer training camps at Fort
Sam Houston. to 400 c. NJ. L. C..
students assembled in the Liberty
Theater. The camp commandant
made a strong plea for military pre-
paredness, quoting figures from the
late war as support for his arguments.
General Malone emphasized the fact
that because victory has always
crowned Americas military engage
ments the nation forgot the unneces-
sary large cost in human life mat
these victories cost. which resulted
from sending the soldier to the front
unprepared.
DO the mothers and fathers of
this great country of our realize"
General Nance said. "that based upon
the statistics of the World War, G6
out of every 100 men who must be
called to the colors in the future
must be trained for service in the
dismounted branches, especially the
infantry? Do they realize that out
of every 100 called and serving in
battle against an enemy equal In eft
ficiency TO the German soldier, and
for period equal 10 our participa-
ton in the World War. 81 will be
killed or wounded unless the Ameri-
can nations develops in time of peace
system of military training which
will insure victory. at less cost il
human life?"
High Death Rate.
Asked what he thought were cur
losses during the World War due TO
lack of training. a prominent gem
eral officer replied: "At least 80 Der
cent
The estimates of others varied, but
all deeply appreciated that our sue
cesseS. however magnificent. had Ocen
won in many cases at sacris:cial cost
in human beings. such losses being
due 10 our unpreparedness for the
great struggle into which we were
forced by world conditions.
Every military leader from Wash
ington TO Pershing has realized the
needless price that we have paid in
human blood for victories that We
have won in battle. and every such
leader has appealed in turn TO the
American people to find remedy.
But victory has in the end crowned
every military effort Of our nation,
and the voice Of the dead could not
be heard amid the reioicings. As a
natteE of fact. the people have never
analysed the results of battle and
have never fully known anything
more than that America was ulti-
mately triumph"rt. 1t is the duty of
every officer of the United States
army who has led troops in battle,
who has analysed military history
and who knows the truth, TO set forth
such truths unhesitatingly TO the
people. In their final action the peO-
pie of this country have been essen
TALLY right and in my opinion they
always will be. No better illCstra
ton of the truthfulness of this as
sertion can be found than the Nation
al Defense Act of June 1, 1920"
Explains Defense Act.
In q brief manner General Malone
explained the National Defense Act,
showing how the army of the United
States is divided into three compon-
ents. the Regular Army, the National
Guard and the Organized Reserve
Corps. He also explained the work
ings of the various summer training
camps, showing that in each Of the
nine corps areas the students who
have been attending schools having
X. q. L. {. units are assembled, in
solar as appropriations would per-
nit, to undergo u sixsweeks period
of instruction under the immediate
supervision Of the Regular Army.
Before the termination of these
camps, reserve officers. who belong
to the divisions which participated in
the World War, are assembled ror
training in the very work which their
division, should Congress call them,
would be required to perform in war.
Before the err, of this period of in
structiOn still other young men from
any source whatever are assembled
in Citizens Military Tryining Camps.
They are furnished with uniforms and
equipment. organized into units and
trained for one month in the details
which they would be required to per-
| form as leaders in battle. Those
! who qualify satisfactorily in these
tests of military leadership are Of
fered a commission in the Organized
Reserve Corps.
Many Years In War.
In concluding his lecture General
Malone said:
Let us realize that during our
national life 16 1-2 per cent of our
time has been spent in war: that
during the last % years our troops
have charged the heights of San
Juan, fought in Porto Rico, captured
Manila. participated in the campaign
in China against the Boxers, and
twice occupied Mexico. while our
fleet has destroyed hostile fleets upon
opposite sides of the world: and that
| finally 100000 of our citizens
participated in fierce and bloody bat.
ties on the fields of France and
contributed q decisive military influ.
| ence on the outcome of the greatest
war of all times"
Referring TO the mimic battle that
is 10 be stage by c. NJ. Il. c. stu
dents and the Regular Army at Cam
Bulls on August "a, General Malone
continued:
"The best index to the future Is
the history of the past. and viii
minds fixed upon the past let thu
spectator look down from Wager
Wheel Hill upon the defensive battle
line on which we are concentratin;
our destructive fire on August "a
and let him ask himself IL it is fail
to call the young American citizel
from his home and send him fortl
totally unframed. the blind to lea,
the blind, in n struggle such as vii
be demonstrated on that mimic fiel'