Evening star., 1926-05-26
Champions of Defense Day
Favor More Definite Plan

The possibility that observance Of
Defense day may not continue to be
an annual feature of the national life
has directed attention TO results of
the custom in the past and has
bought forth suggestions from its ad-
vocates as TO methods of making such
an observance more effective con-
tribution TO national SAT fety.
The muster day idea is purely
patriotic, the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin explains. 1T is traditional.
inherited from the old.time custom
| when the duty of every citizen to
bear arms. il necessary, for the de-
fense of his country. his State and his
community and their several govern
ments was recognized as one of the
normal and essential provisions
aga inst the necessity Of maintaining
a great standing army. No ominous
clouds are at the present moment
| threatening our blue skies of peace.
But that Is not perma nent assurance
against the storm OF war. and prepa
ration against that possibility ought
not to be neglected
While deplorins objections to the
day. the Kansas City journal saws:
Undoubtedly there will be less oppO-
| sitton to the suggestion of a great
less widely with the normal activities
OF citizens. The marvellous success
| with which the Nation modified for
the World War has tended to lull the
| country into false sense of security
! There is every sound rea son for TAX
| ing stock Of what the United States
has with which TO handle an emer-
| sency. Details are not Of such impOr-
! IA nee. however, as the attainment OF
| 81 - k-:
ready and of knowing Just what ca
| be depended upon in the event of IN
emergency which may come at any
time
1t is to be hoped" observes the
| l.ynchburg News. that the War De-
partment has not been Influenced by
the propa ga nda and protests of paci.
| fists TO aba ndOn test day. There are
| no greater enemies Of the Nation than
those who oppose any sort of prepara-
| tiOn, and to permit them to block
the plans for one patriotic movement
! is to encourage them to further da n
| gerOus doctrines, and already the
Omcers' Reserve Corps the Summer
training camps and military training
| in schools are the targets of attack"
For the future the Miami Daily
News advises that definite plans
should be made. with Legislation by
} Congress, IL that seems essential. DE
| fense tests should not be aba ndoned, :"
continues the Miami per. "An Oc
! casi0nat day for emergency training
does not make g. nation militia ristic
! but no preparation at all ha andica ps
nation nightly, as we have rea son
| to remember"
1.-The plan Of defense test at
stated times should not be aban-
doned." in the opinion Of the New
York Times. "If the national defense
act Ia not to be allowed to become q
dead letter. the Regular Army should
be maintained as nucleus for ex-
pa ansion. the National Guard kept up.
| the citizens training camps hello
every year and the Reserve Ohicers
Corps systematically reinforced from
colleges and military schools. At in
/ terva1s there should be a defense test
| seriously carried out to demonstrate
that mobilization of the resources Of
the country in men and material Is
practicable"
What really has taken place, as
F, viewed by the st. paul Dispatch, IL
| .'reia xation of anything like a ma
tfonal interest in the question OF de-
tense and preparedness, while Amer
lea IS 100 UuSy CiOotiuB anu CuJOy
ing material ease to give a thought
to unplea "a mt possibilities In the fu'
ture Defense day has not been sup
ported. We may some day pay for
this heedlessness as We did In 1917.
and next time there may he no sllies
to hold the line while America blum
ders into shape"
I'VE have but recently counted the
cost, in many young lives, of unpre-
paredness.'' warns the Bangor Daily
Commercial which continues: LAS
Nation we have the maiiest standing
Army In the world In comparison 10
our national Importance. wealth AND
resources. We are relying In case OF
need upon a skeleton sta ndine Army
as a Nucleus to he swealed by the Ma
tional Guard and volunteer and. u
need be. drafted eshistments. We live
In no fear of a foreign foe, but 1t IL
we'll and necessary to take such ad-
vantage as we can of the very made
quate preparation that the Nation has
for war. and one Of these IL National