Evening star., 1942-04-07

| IN an Army Day speech eXtOllng
the American spirit" of all the
forces which had fought for this
country, 1t. Gen. Brehon B. Somer-
veil, commanding general, Services
of Supply, last night called on the
Nation to produce enough arms to
win the present war.
Gen. Somervell spoke to a dis
tinguished audience at the May
flower Hotel, meeting under aus
pices of the Washington Chapter,
Military Order of the World War.
BY radio he addressed the country
In the National Radio Forum ar
ranged by The Washington Star
and broadcast over Station WMAL
and the Blue Network.
In this war, as in all the others
we have fought" said Gen. Somer-
veil, I'VE Americans must contrive
to have not only the heaviest ar
tillery, the fastest pursuit ships. the
most powerful bombers, the best
trained, best-armed, best-oficered
fighting men, but we must contrive
to get them where they are most
needed and get them there fast.
This we will do, I am confident.
"Most Steel" Must Be Hurled.
mo army can win a war;" he
warned, unless 1t can throw more
steel and more high explosive at the
enemy than the enemy is throwing
at it. We are rushing this steel
and this high explosive to our troops
on five continents with all the speed
and vigor we have so far been able
to muster.
But" he said, I'VE can't send
them any more munitions than we
can transport. We can, and will, see
to it that we make enough ships to
do the job that every last shell or
gun or truck or tank or plane that
is made gets into the hands of men
who will use them wherever they
are, no matter how distant the fight
ing 'front.'"
Calling on all Americans to do
their part in total war" Gen.
Someryell said, "Your job, what
ever 1t may be Is closely tide to our
war effort. You may be in uniform,
you may be making munitions, or
even If not actually filling shells or
fabricating planes or making guns,
whatever you do, does have an ef-
feet on the war effort. Anything
less than total effort in this total
war is not enough"
Gen. Somervel drew a comparison
between the First World War,
whose beginning was celebrated by
Army Day yesterday, and the pres
ent conflict. Pointing out that the
United States on entering the pre-
vious war was ''pitifully weak, pitt
fully unframed, pitifully SLOW" he
said, I'VE were joining a mighty
fighting team. Britain and Russia,
Belgium and France, with powerful
armies on the continent were in
there holding the line"
Situation Today Reversed.
To-day" he declared, "the situa-
tion Is reversed. We are stronger
than ever, but our team Is weaker.
Too many members have been
knocked out. Those who remain are
holding on doggedly and they will
hold on"
However" he added, "they can't
wait till we learn any signals this
time"
Pointing to the men who make
up the citizen army today, the
speaker paid them high tribute. de-
claring "today's American soldier
mentally and physically IS whale
of a lot better than his brother Of
1918"
Calling for doubled and redoubled
efforts" from all the population, the
speaker declared: Fellow Ameri-
cans, it's up to you and me. America
depends on us; all free men and all
free women everywhere depend on
us. The chained slaves of the Axis
powers across half the world de-
pend on us. Liberty, decency, honor,
the future of mankind depend on
us. With clear heads, stout hearts,
and unwavering devotion and un-
f1inching courage, nothing less than
all will do. Let us complete the
task we have set ourselves"
Special Speech for Detroit.
Gen. Somerveu also broadcast an
Army Day speech specially to De-
troit, pointing to preparedness,
praising Detroit's production and
asking for full civilian cooperation
to win the war.
The Army Day program at the
Mayhower was elaborate and many
dignitaries Of both Army and Navy
took part. Entertainment by the
"Porgy and Bess" cast from the
show now playing on Broadway was
a feature.
Sergt. Carl E. Pitt, jr., of the
228th Field Artillery at Fort Meade,
formerly Of Bethesda, was pre-
sented to the audience as the
typical citizen soldier" He was
praised by both the toastmaster,
Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox and by
Maj. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney,
deputy chief of staff.
A tribute TO Yugoslavia, which