The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1926-12-06
WAR SECRETARY
SOU NDS DEFENSE
WARNING, REPORT
Declares Plans of 1920 Only
Partially Nearing Ma
terialization.

WASHINGTON. Dec. "a warn
ing against "blindly deluding OG1-
selves" on the subject of national de-
Tense is sounded by Secretary Davis
Of the War Department in his annual
report.
There has been only partial execu-
ton of the plan of defense mapped
out in 1920, he said and even the
maintenance of the army on its pres
ent basis requires the appropriation
of more funds each year"
with the exception of a slight
restoration of the supply of ammuni-
ton at the expense of reduction
in personnel. and the Inauguration
of the so-called housing program
he continued conditions have
changed but little since the rendi-
ton of my last annual report"
The secretary discussed at great
length the peacetime uses of the
army. ranging from the running of
barge lines to teaching enlisted men
professions or trades into which they
go on completing their hitch in the
army Even the Air Corps came IN
for treatment from its commercial
rather than its combat aspects.
Civil Side Reviewed
Reviewing the civil side of the
work of the army engineer corps,
Mr.. Davis flatfootedly disapproved
proposals to transfer these duties out
of the army.
"In the long run the present sys-
TEN of administering our rivers and
harbors activities is the most eco
nomical," he said. I'VE. in this case.
achieve the end so often urged of
making our peace time army more
fully pay its way
AS an additional consideration Mr..
Davis pointed out that the fact that
the army engineers are officers OF
the army, whose normal promotion
and pay cannot be advanced or re-
tarded by political influences. leaves
them unaffected by such considera,
tions in their actions
In discussing waterway and harbor
DEVELOPMENTS, the War Secretary laid
down the principle that new projects
should be held in abeyance until COM
pletion of those on which large ex-
penditures already have been made.
1t would take 1926, 900, 900 and at
least five years to round out the
principal developments now in prog
ress. he said, "even if it were prac-
ticabe to make such amounts avail.
able" He used as an example the
Ohio river development, approxima-
tey S5 percent complete, but "capa-
BILE of only about Is percent of the
service which may be expected from
the completed project"
Inland Waterways
Inland waterways now carry about
200, ,O0O. 900 tons of cargo annually,
said the Secretary, at an economic
saving of "at least $15O,00,000
year" He described flood control con-
dtions on many rivers as chaotic.
The Muscle Shoals power plant
was said by the Secretary to be, as
q whole, SO percent complete. He
made no suggestion as to its ulti-
mate disposition.
Turning to the Inland Waterways
Corporation, he described it as a
Temporary expedient" to be con
tinued "onIy until private capital is
prepared to assume this service that
is so vital to national development
Better Housing
Mr.. Davis recalled his previous re-
marks on the necessity of removing
army personnel from "dilapidated
barracks and quarters of wartime
construction"
Suffice it to say that conditions
are, naturally, worse than was the
case a year ago." he said
About $7,O000OO has become avail
able for building purposes from sale
OF surplus property, but total OF
SOC. 900 900 in surplus has either been
sold or transferred to other govern
ment departments.
Where property is transferred to
another department Of the govern
ment," he said. "this (housing) con-
structiOn fund should receive an
equivalent transfer credit from the
appropriation of that department
Puts Foot Down
The War Secretary put his foot
down on the return to duty OF Off
CONTINUED ON Page Thres)