Evening star., 1924-08-11
VETERANS |ND0RSE
DEFENSE DAY PLAN
TWenty-Seven Patriotic Bod
les Place Project Above Pol
itics, Weeks Declares.

Decision of 81 patriotic and veteran
organizations to indorse the Army
Defense Test plans for September -
places the project above politics and
prevents it's exploitation for political
purposes" Secretary Weeks yester-
day wrote Mrs. Anthony Wayne Cook,
president-geueral of the Daughters of
the American Revolution.
In letter replying to Mrs. Cooks
notification of the attitude of the
organizations referred to, the Secre-
tary said opposition to the test plans
was based very largely upon honest
misunderstanding" not only of the
War Departments plans, but even
our defense organization.
The very nature of the opposition
proves conclusively," he said, the
need for the test"
Personnel of United States Army.
United States Army. the Secretary
declared it was made up more than
half" of civilians.
1.-THE Army will be expanded in an
emergency by the addition Of more
civilians. and civilians will direct this
expansion" he continued, explaining
the need for public understanding of
the machinery. AS a result of the
test, he said, the War Department
hoped to get from it the information
for IAN ideal plan" to be recon-
mended to the States.
Referring to the Endorsement of
the test by the 27 societies, Mr..
Weeks said:
Such action definitely places the
Defense test above politics and
prevents its exploitation for political
expediency. The cooperation that is
forthcoming from the governors of
tot icy of
character. Every indication is that
their support on September IL will
be nearly unanimous.
There is MISUNDERSTANDING of the
War Departments request that gov
ernors and mayors appoint citizen
committees to direct and Coordinate
Defense test activities in their re-
spective States and cities. The fact
that these are designated as mobili-
zation committees has led some to
infer that they are to mobilize all
our manhood and all our resources
on September 10.
Real Purpose Outlined.
."This. as you know. is far from our
purpose. We requested the appoint
ment of these committees in order
that all might see the machinery by
which the skeleton units of the Army
of the United States would be ex-
panded, and that all our citizens
might understand that they would
conduct their own mobilization in the
event of war.
1--WE have requested these commit
teeS 10 demonstrate, with the as
slstance of such citizens as might
volunteer their services. how they
would expand the units under their
jurisdiction. 1t is important that the
Federal Government, as, well as the
people, have Information on this
subject.
f@The sa0e misunderstanding led
70 the false conclusion that a holiday
had been asked for. The War De-
partment has not attempted to say
to any State or city whether holi-
day should be declared or not. Each
knows it's own situation. The War
Department, however, has not pro-
posed a national, holiday. partly be-
cause of the proximity of Labor day.
The National Government would be
just as we'll pleased If each city held
its demonstration late in the after
noon, or early in, the evening. AS
the President has pointed out. this
is - Be q voluntary movement on
! the psrt Of our citisena