Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-12-01
Economy Has Cut
Army Below Danger
Point, Word of Weeks

| Weeks advised President Coolidge in
his annual report, made public today,
that conditions in the United States
army have reached the stage where "a
sound and continuing policy with re-
gard to its necessities must be serious
ly considered by the legislative depart
| ment of our government"
In this connection the war secretary
declared the army'sA requirements had
been studied with care and fitted into
10-year program which should be put
/ into effect by Congress lin a manner
| that will conform not only to the mill
itary needs of the military service but
also to the financial condition of the
government"
| In another section of the report the
| statement was made that the pressure
for necessary progress and improve
ment is even greater than the pres
| sure for economy" The secretary re-
J cited in detail the retrenchments made
| by the army in the last few years in
| order to effect economies and keep
within appropriations made by Con-
greSs, and added:
with the funds allowed during the
past fiscal year, however. it has not
been possible either to carry out the
full mission of the defence forces or to
practice true economy
The statement to Congress made by
President Coolidge in his first message,
pointing out that reductions i'll the
army'S commissioned and enlisted
strength had reduced its power to the
danger point" and asserting that fur
Their reductions should not be made.
was referred to by the secretary, who
declared the chief executives words
now composed "an underStatement OF
In, a.; Nc 4 lta CO
The secretary advanced the opin-
ion that the time had come when
the country should look further into
the future when considering army
problems and the year-to-year meth
cd of treating such questions should
give way to continuing policy OF
relief and increased provision for the
three components of the military
service, the regular army, the ma
tiona1 guard and the organized re-
serves.
LAS we face this unfortunate situa-
tion, like the business man arrans-
ing his schedule of work and his
plans for the allotment of funds, and
decide that relief is urgently needed
and must be spread over period of
years." the secretary said. 1--WE are
faced with two determining factors
in American law and custom. The
estimated date when our process of
rehabilitation must be complete,
when the various treaties arising
out of the Washington conference
cease to be effective. and when the
approximation of the veterans of
the world war will have practically
eliminated our reserve of citizens of
experience in the field. would seem
to require that our plans for rehab-
ilitation and our expenditure for that
purpose can be spread over and must
reach an end at the expiration of a
10year period, providing such a plan
and such expenditures begin to be
effective at this time"
After pointing to defects in the
army establishment. caused by
shortage of officers and enlisted men.
and again putting himself on record
in favor of increasing their numbers
respectively from 1900 to $4,000
AMI from 125.000 to 10000, Secre-
tary Weeks said:
Our entire effort since 1920 has
been to apply the principles and
provisions of the national defense
act in such a way that we shall have
more than mere paper army. more
than the imaginary organizations
upon which the United States has
always previously depended for it's
security should major emergencies
arise.
! IF further emergencies come to
the United States, we shall have to
create virtually our entire force af-
ter the declaration of war. which
will be a tremendous task, however
well conceived. Probably in no other
army in the world, consequently, it
is so important as in ours that or
ganiZation. material. equipment,
training plans and mobilization pro-
jectS should be as simple as possible
BY way of illustrating some of the
"deleterious effects of our period of
extraordinary economy" the secre-
tary cited a shortage of commission
ed personnel which. he said, had re-
duced the quota of officers on duty
with units of all components to less
than 50 per cent OF peace require
ncnts.'
Lack of funds. he added. also had
| made it necessary TO tissue clothing
to enlisted men from war stocks,
giving commands an unmiitary ap-
pearance or compelling soldiers to
eXpend large proportions of their
personal FUNDS to keep up proper
appearance in public.
This is not the road to efficiency"
he declared, adding in the words of
49,