The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-13
CONGRESS AND PRFPAREDNrss

l brought against the recent record Of cen gress is its Ismentable failure fc rrof;r h, our costly war experience with respect ss unpreparedness. Because war caught us nm. prepared, we were obliged to meet the emerr ency with all haste at an expense for equip ment at least twice what it would have heer if acquired normally: and we were furfhru forced to resort to bond issues in which 4bt interest easily comes to equal the r,rinrinRr by the time the bonds mature Inns pur war paraphernalia and outlay wRs at leasa four times what it would have been had wt anticipated the emergency by measures of in. telligent preparedness
 | Instead of enabling the nation to h.r+ the advantage of that costly but iIluninatanr experience, congress has apparently done everything possible to cause us to forfeit fhar advantage. For example, having passed fhs national defense act, congress has Tnnoe- quately provided funds for carrying out ats intent. The sums sufficient to maintain sn effective standing army of the modest num- Der of men called for by military exper4f have been denied, and our standing army has suffered accordingly, not only in numbers but in efficient organization. In similar manner congress has failed te make availabls sufficient funds for maintaining the CTFllian Military Training Camps and the Officers Reserve Corps. Congress has resolutsly ner. lected the incontrovertible importunre of an adequate merchant marine as the naryls sec
 
 ond line of defense. The lesson the Mar taught us when the call was for -'ships and yet more ships has been allowed to re hK | the board. Congress has permitted politics to daily with the Muscle Shoals project and t0 obliterate the grave fundamental purpas, of that projett, which was to be our secure inland sourceof war explosives. Congress has been niggard in its appropriations fer aerial deyelopments
 That no arm of our preparedness mag es- cape this nexlect, it is now forced upon pub lie attention that our naEy is not only nod being augmented in accordance with a wise program of national defense, but that its existing units are not even endowed with sufficient funds to keep them in even averast hcOndition. Se result is that our present equipment is not efficiently maintained. nou is it adequately manned. Such a policy. fen which congress is directly responsible, repre- sents double deficiency; for not only is the appropriation insufficient to make necessary new construction, but it is so small that even our present investment in the navy is mol protected. Whenever a policy of eoanumy becomes so rigid as to imperfl the invest ment already made it is foolish in the ex- treme. S&g
 There is in this no question of miIitaEism or dominance of the sea. 1t is merely q question of whether we are going to do whaa we maintains q. department to do. We hEEa a navy, but Sfhe expensive units it contaiins are not propefly supplemented with the Ea- ditional equipment to make them effective The result is that our investment is mn terially reduced in value because of lack ni maintenance. For this shsse is nc reason able or acceptable excuse snch policy ii not economy, for to permit ships so oentinuE in conditionef disrepair but makes the Il- innate cost oErepair or replacement aIl fhs greater, whilsp emerrencs caIl for the sldi4ls would reveal eir weakness in all it's ElAr ing reality. * 4e
 The troubIs Us that congreAs appears un. able any longer to make a serious and con structive study of any suhiect of national importance. The. highest lawmaking body appears to have reached point where it m longer functions creditably in the public be. half. but hassfor it's primary concern the DO litical advansement of its members, and the furtherance f the private advantage. Sub. jects are h approached by the majority from the side of the public welfare, but Hrs booted and shunted about in a manner ts amaze and disgust a long-suffering populB- tion. There is needed in congress a majority of far higher average of intelligence and grasp of their public opportunity. But tbes will not be thsre unless the people send then there. It is tsle that we hare many patrioti, aSd dAEapR6is en in congress whose frs thought fs she republic. But they can 1 not return: -fal. service until they con Estitute a majaEity