Evening star., 1925-07-05

Continued from First Page.l
ington's admonition. I'm time Of peace
prepare for war" for his text:
What we had in mind was the
muster system of the colonists, by
which each individual had his part in
the defense plan. The muster day of
the present is based on exactly the
same principle that Washington had
in mind when he gave this solemn
advice to his fellow countrymen. I'm
fortunately, there has been no such
change in world affairs as to make
that advice unsound today. Under the
circumstances in which we find our
selves as a people and as a Nation,
we should work and strive and hope
for the best, but be ready to meet the
worst successfully if it should be
forced upon us. That is not mill
tarism-it is only common sense.
II wish to impress upon you that
the whole system of national defense
which Congress has established is
wholly untitled for aggression. 1t
would be several months-nine at
least-before we could make our new
Army into a combat Army at full
strength.
THE very character of our Army,
being composed only of citizens and
mostly of civilians, makes it unmil-
itaristic We have actually broken
down since the World War all SEM
blance of a military class, if any ever
existed. No Army in history has been
so civilian in character or so much a
part of the people
Hits Penny-Wise Policy.
Gen. Pershing dealt with the eco
nomic cost of inadequate prepared
ness:
I'm the light of history it is clearly
our duty to support an adequate mill
tary establishment during peace. or
else the next generation will have to
pay the price that has always been
paid for past neglect. 1t is sad in
retrospect to realize that even while
paying her war costs inherited from
their fathers, no generation OF Amer1-
cans has been wise enough or un-
selfish enough to provide against the
wars that have fallen upon their sons.
It has been said, and with truth, that
the Government is a poor business
manager. 1t is too often penny wise
and pound foolish, and often only the
political consideration of the moment
seems to count.
mo better illustration is needed of
this than the millions that must be
paid in interest alone on our war debt
during this fiscal year. to say nothing
of the many more millions that VIII
have to be paid on the debt itse1.
There can be no possible JuStlhcat1on
for saving a few millions a year on
the Army during peace If in the end,
as a consequence, we are forced 10
spend extra billions in an emergency
to make up deficiencies. The differ
ence in the cost between an adequate
and an inadequate system is not
enough to warrant the risk.
'It is the duty of every man and
woman to study deeply TINS question
of national security. There Is but
one voice that can determine the
course to be pursued; one voice that
can decide whether we shall follow
the counsel of the fathers and the les
sons of our own experience; one
voice that can give direction as to
wise policies, and that voice is the
voice of the people"
Hines Report on Army.
Gen. Hines made his address in the
form of report as chief of staff to
his millions of hearers on the pres
ent status of our military defense
plans" He explained briefly the sys-
tenn set up since the war with the
hope "of avoiding the delays, confu-
sion and cost" of the 1917 mobiliza-
ton, and added:
"It can readily be seen that the
expansion of our new Army will be
large in an emergency-for it is small
in size and a skeleton organization
in form, consisting in the main of
civilian soldiers, and is widely dis
persed over our entire country, in
Guiding our overseas possessions.
Only by practice can we make GER
tain that a mobilization of such an
Army in an emergency will be success
full. That is why we held the muster
today. We need your help If our new
system is to be practical, If it actually
is to work in war.
1.-The War Department has a very
real and important national problem
to solve. A satisfactory solution
should make certain that either this
Nation will have no war task at all
or only small one to perform. We
can arrive at satisfactory solution
only if we have your assistance, not
for one day, but throughout the year.
The War Department can do no more
than you will permit. You are our
employers and we, your soldiers, are
your employees"
$4,000 IN SECOND CORPS.