The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-07
UNDERWOOD ASKS LOYAL SUPPORT OF DEFENSE DAY
Senator Declares Alabama Should Be Doubly In-
 terested In Move

In a vigorous plea that Birmingham and Alabama act as unit in support of National Defense Day program which he outlined as a method to pre- vent rather than provoke war, Oscar W. Underwood, United States Senator from Alabama, Wednesday declared emphatically that no political issue is .envolyed in the move, when he made an informal address on the subject to the Rotary club of Birmingham after 1t has been presented bS Captain George Lewis Baiins at the Tearial weekly luncheon.
 aAiabama should be doubly loyal ana enthusiastic toward National De fense Day." the Senator said, If for no other reason than it has been sci on the anniversary of the great vic tory of the battle of St. Atihiel in which Alabama troops, the One Hun dred and Sixty-seyenth infantry, so distinguished themselves.
 Tt is absurd to inject politics into day so significant There is no po- plitical issue involved. There is no shade of a political aspect and no such motive underlies the day.
 "Unpreparedness was the very req son for the last great war. Germany did not believe we could mobilize in time to be in any of the major opera ton of that great struggle. She count ed too strongly on that theory and hoped to deal the decisive blow to the Allied armies before the United States could be of material assistance. Ger many was mistaken. But even though we were able to prepare quickly enough A to save our annihilation 1t does not excuse our mistake.
 Think what would have happened from April, when war was declared, until September, when American troops began to flood Europe, if the English navy had not been in control of the sea. American troops would have been unable to cross and therefore of no assistance in the great struggle which was overshadowing our own soil.
 There is no cost to speak of for the maintainance of the officers re- serve. But one hour after war is de- clared these S7,O0O men would be moving into training, great and vital unit in the army of the nation.
 Does Not Provoke War.
 To say that National Defense day pro- yokes war is equally as absurd as is the supposed political aspect, accord ing to Senator Underwood. He main tained that. the opposite would be true and that the lesson of preparedness would be one of great and significant results, bespeaking to the world Amer ica's unity of action should her ideals be threatened. There is safety in the fact that the world knows you are prepared and double safety is really being prepared, Senator Underwood said.
 These S7, 900 men who constitute the officers service only with the thought manding more than two million men, and in the time of a national crisis, officers are needed just as much as are men. Men are entering the reserve officers service only with tn thought of duty to Alabama and to the nation and not with the thought of m-rtial glory. six years ago greater than the call which will serve to maintain peace? l believe that Alabama will respond to the National Defense programs as she has to all patriotic and reasonable aids for the security of the greater na- tiOn.s
 Senator Underwood was warmly ap- plauded by the gathering of which he is an honorary member. He had prom ised to speak informally on a subject of bis own choosing, but entered hear tily and with spirit into his plea for support of an occasion which he de- clared to. be of vital significance to ovarv laval A u1ariaan