Evening star., 1942-02-15
MacArthur's Pre- War Reports
Emphasized Need for Planes
Conditions He Has to Struggle Under Today Were
Visualized in Annual Statements
When Chief of Staff
By James L. Wriehf.

Ls " TJSHfs
addressed to reason alone, and must de-
pend for their support upon the slow
processes Of education rather than upon
the driving methods Of propaganda"
How slow the processes of education
here proved against the driving methods
Of propaganda in Germany. where Hitler
was Just coming into control, Is shown
in the lack Of aircraft and other equip
ment in the Philippines today. despite
the pleadings Of Gen. Macarthur so long
ago.
Relatively small forces, exploiting the
possibilities of modern weapons and
mechanisms," he wrote in his annual
report of 1885, will afford in future
emergencies a more dependable asSur-
ance of defense than will huge, unwieldy,
poorly equipped and hastily trained
masses. Adherence to such policy like
wise serves the interests of economy.
since of all the costs Of war, both direct
and indirect, none is so irreparable and
so devastating as that measured in the
blood of youth.
Speed and Fire Power.
The United States should not hold to
the Nation in arms as principle tenet
in its doctrine Of defense, If by that term
is indicated and unreasoned purpose OF
examining into the armed forces every
citizen of military age and capable OF
carrying a gun. Beyond all doubt any
major war Of the future will see every
belligerent nation highly organized for
the single purpose of victory, the attain
ment of which will require the integra-
ton and intensification of individual and
collective effort.
But it will be nation at war, rather
than a nation in arms. OF this vast
machine the fighting forces will be only
the cutting edge; their mandatory char
acteristics will be speed in movement,
power in fire and shock action, and the
utmost In professional skill and leader
ship. Their armaments will necessarily
be of the most efficient types obtainable
and their transportation, supply and
maintenance systems supporting them
will be required to function perfectly and
continuously.
Economic and industrial resources
will have to assure the adequacy of mu-
milton supply and the sustenance of the
whole civil population. In these latter
fields the great proportion of the en-
playable population will find its war
duty"
Throughout his report, Gen. MacAr-
thur emphasized the need of speed and
contended that through the ages this has
been the prime essential in battle Going
back to the Genghis Khan, Gen. Mac
Arthur said that this warrior of other
days had paralyzed his enemies by strik-
ing hard and fast.
Formula for Victory.
''The Army" he said, must conduct
efficient reconnaissance and counter
reconnaissance from the outset of the
campaign: move swiftly in the direction
| indicated as desirable; concentrate per-
sonnel and material at the critical point
| or points, or immobilize its enemy and
hold firmly all areas vital to its own
success; strike with the maximum power
of fire and shock, and exploit rapidly and
fearlessly every advantage gained.
THE protective power of modern
weapons is so great that where these
are strongly and deliberately organized
| for defense they practically insure in
vulnerability. Only through surprise
action can collision with the enemys
prepared positions be avoided and to
| gain surprise nothing is more important
than superiority in mobility.
THE constant trend in the modern
world is toward greater and greater
speed. Any army that fails to keep in
step with this trend is, far from making
necessary progress toward mobilization.
going steadily and irrevocably backward.
THE airplane, the physical embodi-
ment of the spirit Of speed. has become
an indispensable member of the military
team. The rest of the army must de-
velop itself so as to work efficiently with
this new and speedy member. This
generalization assumes a definite mean
ing when it is understood to imply a
necessity on the part of the army to
strive for mobility permitting it to take
| advantage of the military opportunities
created by an air force exploiting its
own cooperative power to the full,
rather than compelling the air force
to waste itself away in lowering around
an inert and cumbersome ground con-
tingent as a mere protective and locally
existing agency"
released by North American Newspaper Allianee)