Evening star., 1938-03-28
QUICK MOB|L|z|NG
HELDKEY TOPEACE
Gen. Craig Tells ParIey Of
Officers a Plan viii Insure
U. S. Safety.

Americas hope for peace depends
on ability to mobilize its military
strength quickly, Gen. Malin Craig.
Army chief Of staff, told members Of
Selective Service Conference at its
opening session this afternoon in the
Army Medical Center.
Speaking before a group Of 50 Reg
ular and Reserve officers of the Army.
Navy and Marine Corps, assembled to
consider plans for mobilization of man.
power In case of emergency, Gen.
Craig said had this country been As
we'll prepared In 1917 as now 1t might
never have been drawn into the World
War. or in any case the war would
have been won months earlier.
Cold, hard common sense should
tell us that if America knows how to
swiftly mobilize her huge strength no
sane person, be he monarch or dictator,
will ever again bring it crashing down
about him." Gen. Craig said.
Civilian Agencies.
For the Reserve officers in attend
ance the opening session this after
noon was the beginning of a l2.day
course of study of emergency mobiliza-
tion machinery.
Gen. Craig asked the conference tn
perfect plans for a selective service
system, which he characterized as "the
fairest system that has ever been
devised for building armies" and TO
so project the plans for its early
installation that when and If Con-
gress shall authorize it, the response
shall be immediate"
He also asked the conference tn
decide on the practicability OF aban-
doning the present system of obtaining
volunteers through military recruiting
agencies and turning the task over
to the people of the country in case
OF emergency. Should it be decided
that civilian agencies can handle the
volunteer problem Congress will be
asked to pass enabling law, Gen. Craig
said.
Several States Ready.
Several States have already pre-
pared plans in detail to prove that
they are capable of making a huge
volunteering effort" Gen. Craig said.
To the military man it is the hope
that a dream might come true. No
longer then need he wait for his
recruiting parties to return with
meagerly few men, for, free to do his
real job. he would work with the
knowledge that help was coming"
Among the District of Columbia Of
ficers attending the conference are
1t. Comdr. Leslie c. McNemar, ONCE
of the judge advocate general. Navy
Department; Maj. Chauncy Parker,
Marine Corps Reserve; Maj. Hiram
w. Bennett, 4450 Volta place NV:
Maj. Emmett r. Carroll, Veterans
Administration; Maj. Raymond T.
Higgins. 1923 Ninth street NE: Mai.
Henry F, Rhodes. Home Owners Loan
Corp: Capt. John L. Newbold, jr.,
920 E street NV; Capt. Edgar R.
Baker, Budget Bureau. and Capt. Mall
colin F. Halliday. National Labor Re-
lations Board. all members of the
Army's Specialist Reserve. and Capt.
Ralph L. Walker of the District Ma
tional Guard.
Four Meetings.
Today's conference is one Of four
similar meetings in various parts Of
the country for consideration Of mo-
bilization problems by the volunteer
and draft methods.
Under the plans to be considered
by the conference, the Army and Ma
tional Guard, numbering $4,000 to
100000 men. and the Navy, with a
strength Of approximately 100000,
would be ready for action at the start
Of war Within 80 days 800, 900 volun-
teers would be sought, and within 50
days 100000.
Within IS to so days after the start
Of hostilities, it is planned, the selec-
tive service act would be in operation
with the purpose Of bringing the Army
to minimum strength Of 1,250.0O0
and the Navy to 100000 by the end Of
the fourth month. A draft organiza-
ton Of 10000 men and women will
be necessary to handle this mobiliza-