Evening star., 1941-07-01
Representative Collin!
Urges Skilled Army
OF Tanks and Planes
Mechunized Forces
Needed, Stur Radio
Forum Speaker Says

vi aiii SPSoNSi SNJs
Representative Ross A. Collins o.
Mississippi, a member of the HOUSE
Appropriations Committee, spoke or
Army mechanization and defense ir
an address broadcast in the Nationa,
Radio Forum last night. The forum
arranged by The Star, was broad
cast over a network of the National
Broadcasting Co 1t was heard
locally over Station WMAL.
The text of Representative Col
Inns address follows:
The effectiveness of an Army to-
DAY is measured by its ability to
tnf1ict injury upon its adversary. To
secure for our Army the maximum
degree of effectiveness must be our
goal This will not necessarily come
from huge expenditures of money.
Neither will the congregation to-
gether of hordes of men provide it.
Both men and materiel are essen
tial, but there must be a proper
balance between the two. No democ-
racy can afford both a powerful
mechanical army and also a mass
army. Since we must choose one or
the otner and since mass army is
helpless before a skilled mechanical
land force working effectively with
planes, I believe we should build as
quickly as possible a more manage
sble Army, with very large propor-
ton of 1t mechanical and armored.
Airplanes, tanks, anti-aircraft
guns and all mCIern mechanized
weapons are costly. They are con-
stantly changing design, fire power
End general efficiency and new ones
must always supplant the obsolete
end the obsolescent. Likewise, the
burden of providing for large mass
army makes It's year-by-year upkeep
unusually large. Taxpayers pockets
are not deep enough to give our
country a mass army that Is we'll
provided with weapons of maximum
speed, armor and fire power. 1t Is
automatic, therefore, that a man.
power army is always an army
poorly supplemented.
Comparison Is LudicrOus.
The military problem ahead of us
Is so simple that a child should be
able to understand it. A soldier can
be armed with an ordinary rife and
his ability to inf1ict injury upon an
epor,,1- ie rolo tiuely- Sr,on E,,r+ber
more, with nothing to protect him
except the uniform he wears his
chance to survive in modern battle
Is small. He does not possess speed
and hence is unable to surprise an
enemy, for his whereabouts are al
ways known. Put this same soldier
In tank and his fire power is multi
Piled hundredfold. Moreover, he
is given the protection of armor.
His speed IS increased and his ability
to surprise the enemy is increas-
.gly greater.
Change the status of this same
soldier again and make him
pilot or bombardier in a mile
ter-hour fighter plane that can
operate in the stratosphere and his
possibilities in war are so much
greater that a comparison with his
former status as infantryman be-
comes ludicrous.
Ours is the greatest industrial Ma
tion in the entire world. We are
minded. It's only fair
to our sons who must fight our
country's battles that we use the
scientific and industrial abilities of
the Nation to provide them with
that will guarantee them
an advantage in war and at the
same time give them the oppor-
tunity to live through it. They
must be given weapons with maxi
mum fire power and armor to pro-
fect them from the assaults of their
Technique Of the Future.
do not wish to eliminate in
fantrymen, field artillerymen, the
engineers and those men who be-
long to some of the older branches
Of the Army. 1t will always be nee
essary to have soldiers to perform
these duties, but their firepower,
too, must be increased and when
ever possible they. too, should be
given armor protection and they
should be trained In the technique
Of the future.
For ground-gaining purposes,
however. an army must use its
forces that are equipped with its
most modern weapons. Right now
it's the air force acting alone-the
eirplane- tank combination-the air
force acting comparatively with the
navy and similar combinations, but
with the air force always striking
first. Engineers, signal corpsmen,
field artillerymen will have a job to
do. but there must be the closest
and coordination be-
tween them and the air-tank spear
head.
This can come only from inten-
sive training-not separately, but as
a team. AS single outfit with a
single purpose each must perform
its task. The thought is not new.
For more than 10 years I have in
sisted that our armed forces keep
step with the progress of the times
and make use of the power, speed
maneuverability and long range
uses of the gasoline engine. I
knew then that military strength
would not be measured in terms
of numbers of men on army muster
rolls. I knew then that the tech
nioue of the past was gone. AS far
back as 1882 I made these obser-
vations:
"Mechanization implies the
actual use of automotive machines
In combat. Aircraft, tanks, and
ermored cars are the outstanding
.A1NMENT " uNC