Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-08-29
DEFENSE DAY: WHAT IT
is AND HOW OBSERVED
By HARRY C. HALE
Major General, U. S. Army

Major General, U. 5. Army
The public wants to know what all
this talk about Defense Test Day
means, and the following is an ex-
plantation:
In 1920 congress passed a law for
our national safety. This law pro-
vides reserve composed of civilian
volunteers. In peace, this reserves
is only a framework composed of Of
fcers. If we be attacked, this frame
work reserve is filled up by enlisted
men procured by selective service
boards of civilians. To do this, plans
called mobilization plans are neces-
sary. The war department is respon-
sible that these plans will work, and,
to find out, it primarily institutes a
mobilization test.
1t is a test of the progress made in
our national policy of preparedness.
And therefore, a test of our prepar-
edness to prevent war. And there
fore, test of our preparedness to in
sure peace. And therefore, great
national peace demonstration.
national patriotic organizations is
formed, and this state committee
forms local committees throughout
the state, and these local committees
plan, organize, follow up and carry
through the demonstration for their
own locality, which may be county,
city, q part of a city, village,
or any other place whatever where
the people may meet for the purpose
of learning what preparedness means,
why it is necessary, by what author
ity it exists, why it is the exact OPP
posite of a war measure, why it will
insure peace.
What Will Happen
John Smith, a captain in the Or
ganized reserve corps, a patriotic
citizen living in Jonesville, is listed
at the war department as command
ing Company A, blank regiment of
paper regiment only. It becomes
infantry. This regiment in peace is
real only if war should be forced up
on US. If such a misfortune should
befah us, then Company A, blank
regiment, would, by selective service,
become a company of 200 men, and
Captain Smith, a trained civilian,
would receive, house, clothe and feed
this company from the first man sent
by the local selective board to the last
man. Captain Smith has been train
ed how to do this. He has formed
plans how to do it.
The mobilization test to be held on
Defense Test Day, September IL,
1924, next, is a test of Captain
Smiths training in this respect. He
will go through the motions that he
has been taught, if war should fall
upon us, but, having no men in his
peace company, he will ask patri-
otto citizens between 10 and 45 years
of age, living in his locality, to vol
unteer to answer their names as
members of his company for an hour
or two on September IL next.
And then Captain Smith will ask
these volunteers and all other patri-
otto citizens who will assemble, to
listen to a carefully prepared paper,
furnished by the war department, ex-
planning definitely and in detail, what
it is all about. And there may be pa
triotic speeches by others, and there
may be parades, and there may be
games, and meets, and contests, to
demonstrate the value of the war de-
partment system of physical training.
And there should be a universal dis
play in home and shop Of our coun-
try's nag.