Evening star., 1939-12-28
Defense Adequate
For 'AnyLoad' Asked
By Woodring
War Secretary Reveals
Steps for Protection
Of Panama ConuI

A national defense program with
foundation adequate to support
any military load" offers the only
security for the United States in
world which has lost faith in IN
ternational agreements as a means
of preserving peace, Secretary OF
War Woodring said today in his
annual report to President Roose-
welt.
These are the days" the Secre-
tary declared in commenting on de-
fense needs. when by the threat
of the exercise of armed might or
by the actual employment Of mill
tary violence the maps OF the world
are changed overnight"
For the Army's part in the de-
fense program Mr.. Woodring asked
for an initial protective force COM
plete as to personnel and equipment
and 100 per cent efficient as to
training"
The Secretary did not specify
what the initial protective force
should be, pointing out that de-
termination of the Armys numeri-
cal strength rests with Congress.
Owing to the emergency created by
war in Europe, the Army is now
being raised to 227,000 regulars and
325 900 National Guardsmen. Con-
gress may be asked to appropriate
funds for further expansion.
Army Needs Enumerated,
In deciding what the initial pro-
tective force should be Congress
should also provide, the Secretary
declared, for complete equipment,
clothing, supplies. subsistence,
transportation, training and instruc-
ton to prepare for any eventuality
presupposed by any military ex-
igency'
National Defense" he asserted,
can on longer be considered in
terms of dollars and cents. Nor can
national defense longer be deter
mined upon the number of men
the mere enrolment of Regulars,
Guardsmen or Reservists.
"One million naked savages armed
with 100000 spears and 100000
shields would be slaughtered by 100
men armed with 100 of the Armys
new semi-automatic shoulder rifles
and a bakers dozen of the Armys
new tanks
International tension in the past
two years has made necessary Mr..
Woodring said, a reorientation of
the military policy of the United
States. And the development of
the airplane and its use as an in
strument of war rather than for
promotion of peace and progress
has awakened the American public
to the realization that our national
security was no longer assured by
the broad expanses of the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans, and that in the
military sense the Americas are no
longer continents he added.
Hemisphere Defense.
Discussing the so-called hemi-
sphere defense. Mr.. Woodring said:
LAS Secretary of War I do not
visualize hemispherical defense as
Strengthening the Monroe Doctrine.
AS such l do not visualize hemi-
spherical defense as pan-American
protective alliance. All those con-
siderations, important as they may
be, are political, and as such they
do not lie within the province of
the Department of War of this Ma
ton nor within my province as
Secretary of War.
1T is the simple, unadulterated
fact that the range and destructive
potentialities of weapons of war;
fare. primarily those whose realm
is the skies, have in recent years
shortened the elements of distance
and time that any hostile air base
established anywhere within effec-
tive striking proximity of the Pan
anna Canal would prove vital
threat to that waterway-and,
therefore, a threat to the very Sc
curity of these United States.
I'm speaking, therefore, of hemis-
pherical defense I am speaking,
from military standpoint, of the
defense of this Republic"
Mr. Woodring said the threat of
air power is being met by strength
ening the defenses of Panama Canal
and building up this country's own
air force Anticipating approval of
Congress, he said he had directed
immediate steps toward improving
the defenses of the Canal Zone
These include additional anti-air-
craft units, improved guns and new
air bases to guard the vital water
way.
In discussing the establishment
of the air force Mr.. Woodring point
ed out that large part of the near
ly 100000, 900 made available for
the Army during the present fiscal
year has been due to the develop