The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-05

ASSe~SS~~@ Willingness of Congress to maintain he used for invasion are responsible
 Tn contrast, this country in pre- war years was willing to let Euro pean nations have their own naval race. but today's U. s. policy calls for a navy second to none ana euualed only by Great Britains.
 Aupropriations for the next fis- cal year will give the War and Navy Departments about billion dollars. which is more than three times as much as the war machine cost in the last pre-war year Of 1916.
 VOLUNTEERING LAGGING
 America had been by no means sold on sending a large army to Europe when we entered the World war. The regular army of 1916 had orlly lO7 900 officers and men, and there were 132,O00 members of the National Guard.
 Gen. Peyton March, who became chief of staff. records that this army was "of no practical military value for warfare in Europe"
 General Pershing found that there were but $50 guns in reserve and only enough shells for a nine hour bombardment. The army had 5S airplanes, of which 5l were chased as obsolete" and four as "obeolescent."
 Thus, loans were for long time | about all this company gave the Allies financial advances soon were. amounting to half @ billion dollars . month.
 Everything else had to be done in c frenzied hurry. There was no great rush of volunteers to the col- OrSs and three weeks after declara- ton of war Congress adopted mili- tSxy conscription and the draft. Persfing has written that with some exceptions, 1t was practical fly six months before training of our. army was under way" He planes this on the building of can- comments to house the new troops. March insisted there was for- ther needless delay in using Amer icasas troops after they arrived in FEance-there were about 300,000 there by April, 1918, although soon Afterward they were arriving at the rate of about 100000 month.
 The navy was in somewhat bet ter condition. Congress had voted . program of eight new battleships, but most of these were abandoned after the declaration of war and the navy concentrated on a big fleet of destroyers and other small Ter craft.
 None of the principal types of guns used by the American troops were. of American manufacture. Mortars were obtained from the British and tanks from the French.
 READY FOR ACTION
 Today the War and Navy De- peytments have 8 complete indus trial mobilization scheme designed to. gear the economic system onto the war machine with all possible efficiency and speed. The Shep- patd bill designed to curb War Poli- cieg Commissions plan, provides for military conscription of all men be- tween 2i and 3l, presidential pow CT. to mobilize industry and control it through licenses, and, seemingly, presidential power to fix prices and wages. l<
 The industrial mobilization plan IS designed to assure prompt equip naent and supply of 8 huge army.
 All over the country officers are surveying industrial plants which would supply the various branches of the service in wartime. The War Department knows at all times the maximum capacities of such plants, Keeping elaborate up-to-date rec- ords with lists of plant facilities.
 Regulations have been prepared which would curtail civilian con- sumption of certain commodities iifirnediately upon declaration of wa4. The army especially watches aixe of domestic stocks of articles which this country must import, such as rubber.
 Neither in organization nor equipment do the armies of 1917 and 1887 much resemble each other. The old aviation unit of the Signal Corps, with its 55 poor planes, has grown into an Air Corps of 1900 planes, l426 officers and 16,00O en- listed men.
 In the World War partically any, thing that could fly was pressed in- to use. Pilots bundled 8 few bombs into the cockpit and pounded couple of nails into the side of the ship as sights for bombing raids.
 Most of World War planes had speed of 90 miles an hour. Today the army has planes which average 226. miles an hour. It has ordered 13 four-engine planes which have been dubbed flying fortresses." War planes rapidly become obsolete. There are training planes. observa- ton planes. transport and cargo planes, attack planes. pursuit planes and bombing planes.
 ! In 1917 the army had no chemical warfare service. Today this branch, specializing in such pleasantries as poison gas and liquid fire, has s7 otlcers and 733 enlisted men. The miitI-aircraft unit, now part of coast artillery, is 2 postwar development.
 nEECHANIZED CAVALRY
 1se cavalry force is smaller than &m 1917, but has been greatly Strengthened by mechanisation un- fil 70 nov lss 6e combat, 1S armored