The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-07-27

that of national defense.
 Both branches of the service are in the hands of two brand new cabinet officers, both Republicans, and both keeping politics strictly out of the Army and Navy. In the case of the former, Henry L. Stimson has a far more difficult problem on his hands than when he served as Secretary of War in the Taft Administration.
 He is up against the fact that for exactly twenty years-ever since the World War-the United States Army has been as mori- bund and antiquated as the In- dian forts which it still maintains on the western prairies.
 Here is example No. 1 of what Secretary Stimson is up against.
 If a foreign power wanted to subdue the United States, its most logical move would be to establish line through Detfoit z or Cleveland south to the Ohio River. This would cut the in- dustrial East off from the agri- cultural West. It would sever almost every rail line running between New York and Phila- delphia to the Middle West. It would stop iron ore shipments from the lake regions. It would starve out New York.
 Yet although army officers ad- init this is the strategic area they will have to defend. the over- whelming mass of U. S. troops today is located in the South and West in the wide open spaces which they may never have to de- fend.
 BIG CITY FIGHTING
 Hitler has won the present war argely by military operations in- side dersely populated areas. His troops have been trained to op- crate in Oslo, Rotterdam and Antwerp. Fighting in city streets is far different from fighting on the plains of Oklahoma, yet there are almost no troops in or around the big cities of the Atlantic sea- board.
 As a matter of fact the location of the U. s. Army today is based not upon tactics or strategy, but upon the climate. But the weather!" moans the average army officer when you start talk ing to him about transferring to a new post in the East.
 If the high command of the U. s. Army were awake and i'm
 terested in something more than paper defense, it would hold regular maneuvers in the
 most densely populated indus trial areas of the United States, and would station large part
 of their men regularly east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio.
 There, like the Films who got out in deadly winter weather, they would find northern storms well suited to testing out war under probable war conditions.
 IGNORANCE OF TACTICS
 Example No. of ineficiency is the complete lack of army officer interest in tactics. Most of the high-ranking generals, holding down cushy berths at the top, are much more interested in social rank. promotion and the debu- tante parties of their daughters than in military tactics. Many of them don't even know how to handle troops when they are in command.
 For instance. the Army has just finished the largest peace-time maneuver in history in Mississip- pi and Louisiana. Seventy thou. sand men unanswered in this area for i've months with results that were sadly disappointing to Washington observers.
 Most important effect of the maneuvers was that troops de- teriorated. The enlisted men were fin worse shape at the end than at the start. Their conn manding officers did not keep them busy. did not know how to handle them In sham battle.
 For instance. Major General Walter o. Short. commanding the sixth Division in Louisiana. sent his men in to defend 6 line 30.000 yards wide. All a division is sup posed to defend Is a front 1000 yards wide. and in the Argonne during the World War. nine de visions were concentrated on a line 37O00 yards wide. with many supporting divisions behind.
 After the Louisiana maneuvers were over, Major General Herbert [. Brees. commanding the Eighth