The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-06-30
OwGoverumeut
How 1t Operates
By William Brnckays
NATIONAL DEFENSE


- in that cataclysmic eruption known
as the World war, enormous strides
have been taken among nations to pre-
serve the peace. The movement has
exemplified itself In many different
ways and with varying shades of opin-
ion shown, from the type of citizen
desiring to lie still and play dead on
through the list to those fostering the
belief that only the greatest army and
the greatest navy can be expected to
assure permanent peace for our
country.
Fortunately for the nation, there Is
only negligible number Of those who
are willing to chance the future of
their homeland without an army or a
navy. All of the advocates Of peace
contemplate a system Of national de-
Tense of some kind, and advocate II In
a size according to their light. But
the point is that. desiring peace as we
do, our desires cannot govern what
course or policy some other govern
ment may elect to follow.
believe it is safe to say that now
as never before the average citizen
Is acquainted with the need for ma
tional defense and the way that need
1t met. Programs have been worked
out since the World war ended that
are predicated on a more general
knowledge by every one Of what con-
stitutes the needs of the army and
the navy in condition of crisis. Al
though the two services are skeleton
lied now, should the emergency arise
1t is correct to state that a million
men can spring to arms over night,
and 1t seems that the number prob
ably would be three times that If the
carefully arranged plans may be judged
properly by the layman.
While 1t Is necessary that a great
deal Of the planning by the army and
navy Is done in secret and must re-
main so for the obvious reason that
any nation learning of them Is able to
map counter methods, 1t can be stated
that officers Of the army and the navy
constantly are engaged In study Of
theoretical attacks and defense. The
Army War college and the Naval War
college are the higher institutions of
learning. so to speak, where the off,
GERS delve into the more intricate
problems of war tactics. where they
deal In theory and figure out what
would happen in practice, and from
these eventuate war plans which. let
us hope, 1t never will be necessary
to use.
These plans, Of course, cannot be
said to represent our national defense
policy. That Is question which the
President, as commander In chief of
the army and navy, works out Jointly
with congress. The legislative branch
obviously has the final sayso whether
we will have big navy or small
one, and whether the army will num-
Der $4,000 enlisted men and 1900
officers or more or less. From this It
is seen that the system Of national de-
Tense is one Of fact and not Of theory,
for it is, true to American tradition,
left in the hands Of the representatives
Of the people.
Aside from the determination Of
policy, however, administration Of the
army and the navy constitutes ire
mendous business. There is. Of course,
an independent department for each.
and each has a cabinet member at its
head. But the cabinet members are
civilians, more often than not, without
military or naval training.
Consequently, one has to drop down
the ranks step to find the men who
actually command the regular army
and the navy, with its marine corps
arm.
So we find in the War department,
a general staff, and we find In the
Navy department, a general board.
Each functions to a greater or less
extent as a board Of directors for the
service it represents, and each Is DOM
inant in its own baliwick, for It is
from these two groups that the actual
direction issues for the respective
services. Under each exists the indi-
vidual control that Is necessary al
ways In administration and the num-
Der Of those individuals expands as
the power exercised by each one de-
creases, even to the rank of cor
poral.
In conjunction with the army, the
navy and the marine corps, there Is
that recently developed, but highly
necessary, aviation service. Aviation
has become so important In the sys-
tenn of national defense that congress
has seen fit to create the post Of as
sistant secretary of air In both War
and Navy departments. While their
primary function obviously Is that of
promoting an efficient air service In
each branch, the air division does
much more; 1t is constantly fostering
development of civil aeronautics, and
1t is working constantly with CONNER
cial interests engaged In production
and use of airplanes In commercial
lines.
The air services of the army, the
navy and the marine corps, therefore,
are carrying a tremendous influence
into the field Of air transportation In
these day OF peace. Highly trained
men from the services are going into
private life, day after day, to devote
their skill and their time and attention
to further air transportation. 1t is
not meant that the army, navy and
marine corps are losing all of their
good men, but they are losing some Of
them, yet requirements are made with
out difficulty and the nation gains
from the exchange.
c. 1882. Western Newspaper Union.
Canadian Masonic History
The first Masonic lodge In Canada
was established at Port Royal In 1913,
l. FNl..T