UNITED STATES AND WAR

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1930, Page 7

UNITED STATES AND WAR

FORCED TO JOIN ALLIES. Military unpreparedness to back up its national policies abroad forced the united States into the world war in IDj.7, General Charles P. Summerall, army chief of staff, states in an art.de stressing the needs of adequate defence forces, appearing m a recen„ number of the “U.S. Infantry Journal,” and repu ilisned in the “Chicago Tribune.”

General Summerall asserted that tiie United States could have effected peace without the shedding of a small drop of American blood if this country had ma ntaiiied an efficient army of adequate size to hack up its naval forces. He added that the known unpreparedno.ss of this country for war furnished the reason why the central Powers ignored the state department’s protests .against the repeated encroachments on the rights of American neutrals on the high seas. COULD HAVE MEN ARBITER. “From 1914 to 1917,” wrote General .Summerall, “our Government uttered protest after protest; ill our com parti voly unarmed condition oil lnlitl our words were unheeded. The belligerents were evenly matched. It Was believed then and it appears certain hoW that if we. had had an efficient army of adequate size to back Up oilr efficient naval forces, our country would have been the arbiter of peace without the shedding of a single drop of American blood,

“Our reputation was that of weakness; we were looked upon by those who did not know us as a people who worshipped the dollar. These impressions gave the central Powers more confidence and increased the arrogant and dictatorial tone of their notes. As a result we were morally and physically forced into the world war and sacrificed 224,082 men in killed and wound ed in convincing the enemy that we were a power to be reckoned with—a people who held honour as their most precious possession. NOT READY TO START.

“The declaration of war in April, 1917, found us almost unprepared to wage war on the scale it had assumed in France. Slowly but surely we expanded our army to four million men. It was comparatively easy to get the men, hut in order to convert them into an effetive combative force we had to procure and ; train more than 180,000 officers. The experience gained in producing those officers convinced Congress that in the college men lies the source of supply of leaders able and willing to shoulder the manifold responsibilities that fall to the lot of one who commands men and is charged with their training and Welfare.”

General Summerall continued by stating that ns a nation the United States lias been traditionally opposed to preparedness for aggression, but he asserted the United States should support at all times a military establishment commensurate with its risks.