The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-09-18
DEFENSE DAY
TEST SUCCESS
Plans for Carrying Propaganda
Into Enemy Country Are Care
fully Devised.
Corps Commanders of Nine Areas
Spring to Their Tasks at Word
From Capital and Country Stands
Ready to RepeI Invaders

Ready to RepeI Invaders
Washington-Th Nations defense
machinery intended for actual use
only in the event of a war emergency
was given its first test on Defense
Day accompanied by patriotic demon
startions in every part of the United
States and its possessions. 1t was a
limited test, the actual expansion
plans of the War Department being
designed to cover a period of months,
but dealing only with the question
of personnel and not with supply,
equipment, housing or training, the
progressive stages were consolidated
into this one day.
The days program called for trial
of the decentralied defense machinery
set IN since the National Defense Act
of 1920 was substituted for the pre-
war system. Demonstration Of the
success of the new scheme of defense
will signalize the separation from the
military establishment, at least so far
as active service is involved, of Gen.
John Pershing, who has devoted his
time since 1918 to perfecting it.
When the Defense Day tests actu-
ally got under way it was apparent
to War Department officials, after
studying reports from outlying COM
mands, that their hopes had been en-
tirely justified by the response
throughout the country of men who
for the day had reported for duty"
to the corps area commanders in the
more local districts to the COM
mittees set up to function like the
draft boards didd uring the war
For the day at least the navy was
commanded by an officer of the army
Col. Theodore Roosevelt-its Acting
Secretary. The head of the War De-
partment, Secretary Weeks calno 60
his office as a Rear Admiral OF the
Naval Reserve. Secretary Roosevelt
appeared in his army uniform with
the insignia of the First Division,
with which he served in France.
When Col Roosevelt reported to
Admiral Weeks in the War Secre-
tary's office, he was assigned to duty
for the day to the Secretar's staff and
directed to report later to participate
in the parade here.
A fight over Washington and over
the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at
Arlington was The assignment given
the world flyers, who were held over
here for the day.
In the shadow of the flag floating
over the White House, the retiring
general of the greatest army the
United States has ever put in the
field reviewed a pardae of 10000
marchers.
To General Pershing the marchers
visualized the results of his handi-
work-from the stern precision of the
regulars, nucleus of the national de-
tense, through the less trained move
ments of the National Guard, the Sec
ond line, to the reserves, the great
citizen force upon which the nation
must rely in any major emergency.
In the heart of the great, march
ing column moved the six men who
have carried around the world the
colors of the United States army,
Lieutenant Smith and his fellow
aviators. They were received with
ACCLAIM.
After the pardae had passed, the
soldiers assembled before the re-
viewing stand. With the aid of am
lifiers, the General addressed to the
representatives Of his armies fare
well message.
With an audience of countless mil
lions listening in" through a radio
"hook-up" of ninetene broadcasting
stations and $4,000 miles of telephone
wire, stretching from Atlantic to Pa
cific oceans and from Canada to Mex
leo, General Pershing called four of
his commanding generals on the tele-
phone-at New York, Chicago, Omaha
and San Francisco-and babe them
an official goodbye before his retire
ment from active service.
The ceremonies marked the closing
of National Defense Day. They were
conducted from a room in the War
Department and were attended by
Secretary of War Weeks, Assistant
Secretary of War Davis and many
high officers of the Army, Navy and
Marine Corps.