Evening star., 1941-12-22
u. ). 10 Arm Troop!
With Best Weapons,
Stimson Says
Secretary Soys Our Men
Are Being roined to
Lead Enlarged Forces

The United States was assured
today by Secretary of War Stimson
it is this Governments aim to arm
its soldiers with weapons Of a bet
ter quality than those in the hands
of any other soldiers" He also said
United States troops are being
trained to serve as leaders and
teachers of the larger forces which
the future may show 1t necessary for
us to raise"
His statement was prepared weeks
before the United States found ac-
tual war thrust upon it and was
made in connection with the annual
report of the War Department,
covering the period to June 80, 194l,
which has just been released.
Secretary Stimson replied to "un-
informed critics" who suggested
that the United States could be pro-
tected by a naval and air force alone.
Defense Needs Cited.
"This is far from the fact" he
said. "The garrisons alone Of our
foreign outposts and possessions re-
quire an aggregate of over 10000
men; and this disregards entirely
the mobile force which must be i'm
mediately necessary to reinforce
those garrisons or to defeat the pos
sible blows of the veteran Axis
armies aimed at us through other
approaches of our continent.
Portions of the African and
Asiatic continents have suddenly
become possible bases from which
landings may be made upon South
America or Alaska or the Philip
pines. These last places are areas
which We are under obligation,
morally or legally, to defend, and an
attack on any one would be aheavy
blow at our own continental safety
and vital interests"
His prediction was borne out by
the surprise Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor and the naval, land
and air fighting in the whole Far
Eastern war zone.
Secretary Stimson reviewed the
progress taken under the rearma-
ment program and the building Of
the United States Army to a pres
ent strength Of more than 1900 900
men, which he emphasized in his
report is "far from large" for re-
quirements facing it.
Two Main Objectives Given.
In developing this Army he
stressed two principal objectives:
l. To develop q powerful long
ranged air force Of such size and
mobility that 1t can use the Atlantic
and Pacific outposts as stepping
stones" to strike effectively at any
naval attack from overseas or South
America.
2. Well-trained teams Of air and
ground forces to meet any hostile
expeditionary forces threatening the
western continent and also able to
furnish reserves Of trained men and
weapons necessary to save our own
country in the event Of attempted
invasion.
In the reorganization Of the Army
Air Corps, he reminded. the War De-
partment endeavored to carry out
the guiding principles of unity Of
command" which he stressed Is es-
sential for actual fighting operations
in cooperation with land and naval
forces. The Air Force must then,
he pointed out, submit itself to con-
ditions which make that co-opera-
ton as perfect Is possible"
The experiences Of the European
war, he said, have fully demon
strated that such cooperation can
not be perfected without . unity OF
command. For the Army Is . whole
he emphasized, there should be q
single head over air and ground
forces for the final determination OF
broad policies and for ALLEGATION Of
forces to various purposes or fields
Of operation.