The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-09-03
MOTIVE BEHIND
DEFENSE DAY
ISSECUR|TY
SloWness of U. S. in Getting
Started in World War
Is Recalled
By WILLIAM HARD,


"Defense Day" has developed
into controversy which is raging
from, coast to coast and which is
making it quite certain that, even
q we fight no foreign foe on Fri.
day of next week, we shall at any
rate have among ourselves the
grandest battle since the World
War.
sit is forcing a final lineup
throughout the country between
those who are for nationalism and
those who are for international
cooperation
So says Frederick j. Libby,
executive secretary of the Ma.
tional Council for Prevention Of
War, which belligerently keeps its
office in Washington right across
the street from the War Depart
ment and which is doing its best
to prevent the War Department
from 'militarizing" the American
people on September II.
It all began with what might be
called a little legislative communi.
cation from Senator Wadsworth OF
New York to General Pershing.
Senator Wadsworth' did most OF
the drafting Of the present Ma
tional Defense. Act. He made that
Act rest on the theory of small
professional army backed by the
manhood" of the nation.
Accordingly the Act orders the
War Department to prepare plans
s'for the mobilization of the man
hood Of the nation in an emer-
gency."
Now General Pershins was about
to retire from being chief OF stair
IN the War Department and he had
not yet modified the manhood OF
the nation and he hurried up to DO
his duty ere it was too late.
Pershing Issues Appeal.
So he innocently issued an appeal
to the manhood of the nation to AS
semble itself as the supporting
background to our small profess
.sional army on September u.
The general has an affection for
September ~ because on that day
six years ago at 5 o'clock in the
morning seven American divisions
advanced against the Germans, SUI.
fered seven thousand casualties,
took sixteen thousand prisoners,
took four hundred and forty-three
guns, captured many villages, es-
tAblished new advanced front line.
and added st. Mihiel to the list of
places which to the end of time will
be remembered for deeds done there
by American soldiers.
Moreover, the battle of st. M.hiel
was the first battle fought in the
late war by American soldiers gen.
timely organized into what could
accurately be called an army
Civilians call any large gathering
OF soldiers an army" For a mill.
tery man it means certain def.
mite balanced assembling and weld.
ing of so many corps of so many
divisions" within each corps"
and of so many infantry regiments
and so many artillery regiments
and so many machine-gunners and
30 many engineers, etc., within
each division"
That fact has direct and even.
decisive bearing on Defense Day"
A majo~ reason for our slowness
in getting at the Germans in the
late war was that our officers were
without training in the organizing
and handling of armies
It, therefore, was decided that
hereafter our peace-time military es.
enlistment would retain an organ.
tzation which would not forget
armies" or which, at any rate,
would not forget corps"
U. S. Divided Into Army Areas.
The United States, therefore, was
divided into three "army areas"
within each. Of which there are three
"corps areas"
At the head of each corps area
there Is a commander.
Every National Guardsman and
every officer in the Organized Re-
serves belongs on paper to the corps
Of his area.
So does all the manhood" of
that area when it Springs to arms.
The military problem, however. is
to organize it into divisions and