Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02
General Croig's Report

0eneroI NroIgs Report
In his last report as Chief of STAFF
OF the Army, General Malin Craig
has expressed qualification over the
current Army expansion program but
has coupled with it a warning that
much remains to be done before the
United States has attained the posi-
ton of readiness" deemed essential
by those who have given careful
study to the problem of Americas
national defense. Even with COM
pletion of the $552.OOO 900 prepared
ness program just beginning, he de-
clares, the country still will be con-
slderably short Of the security goal
hoped for by military experts. The
expansion plan about to be carried
out under direction of General Craig's
able successor, General George C.
Marshall will do little more, the re-
firing officer asserts, than help the
Nation regain the ground it lost dur
Ing the past decade of defense indif-
ference-a period during which sew
eral aggressor nations have been far
from idle.
Moreover, as General Craig pointed
out in one part Of his report, it will
take two years to transform current
appropriations into regiments and
arms and planes. ready to stand off
an invader. Stressing this time eIe-
ment as danger too little taken into
account by laymen in considering the
national defense problem, General
Craig said; THE same persons who
now state that they see no threat to
the peace of the United States would
hesitate to make the same forecast
through a two-year period" During
the two years of development the
Army will enlist 1850 men. some
OF whom will fill vacancies; will train
more than 1000 pilots and about
$4,000 aviation mechanics, will buv
$500 more planes, will construct five
new air bases and will add to its
stores some S186,OOO.OOO worth of
guns, shells and other implements
of war.
But that is not enough, says Cen
eral Craig. Before the American
Army is strong enough to protect the
country against modern foe, he
states, it must be strengthened along
three lines. First, the outer line of
defense extending roughly from
Alaska to Panama on the Pacific side
and from the Canal through Puerto
Rico to the East Coast must be
strongly fortified and manned for
instant action" Creation recently of
new department of the Caribbean
Is step in this plan. Second, there
must be kept always ready to rein
force this outpost line a Regular
Army OF five full divisions, with a
strength of 100000 men, and a Ma
tlonal Guard of equal strength.
About 1900 more officers and %, 900
men would be needed to bring the
Regular Army to the required
strength. Third, arms, supplies of all
kinds and machinery must be pro-
vided to expand the Army quickly
IN an emergency to a million men.
1t will take large additional appro-
priations to achieve such goal, but,
as General Craig plainly hints in his
report, there is no real economy in
haphazard, hit-or- miss defense plan
ming. A long-range, properly bal
anced program is the most econom-
lcal in the long run-and the least
dangerous. We are paying heavily
today for our failure to give proper
attention to defense needs during the
years since the World War, when we
supposedly learned all about the grim
costliness of unpreparedness. Gen.
eral Craig's recommendation are not
those Of a soldier who has an ak to
grind. His advice merits the most
earnest consideration of the Nation
to which he devoted forty-flve years
Of active and distinguished military
service