AMERICA'S ARMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23718, 26 July 1940, Page 6

AMERICA'S ARMY

In the United States a resolute effort is afoot to create an army capable of meeting the grave need of these menacing days. The statements made by the AssistantSecretary for War, the Assistant Chief of Staff and other responsible authorities imply that, although naval and air force requirements have had alert practical attention for a long time, military matters have been largely neglected. This impression is given substance and shape when the position at the end of last year is examined. Then'was authorised an increase in the regular army that would bring its strength up to 270,000 men—only about the size of Finland's, as an outspoken American expert said at the time. The units of this small force were scattered, a fact making efficiency impossible ; an arrangement that was the first in the history of the United States in peace was only then being made for a partial assembly to undertake unified training. Previously "manoeuvres" on a very limited scale had achieved nothing but lifeless drill. In the personnel was excellent material, and the same kind of praise was all that could be given to equipment —there was not enough of it and little training in its use. Over all activity, such as it was, the methods of organisation were lacking in essentials. "In fact," as this revelation summed up, "if war came to-morrow or the day after, our army would not be able to make even so good a record as in the World War, when thirteen months after the (American) declaration, we had only one division in battle and only four in line." Now, after the recent arousal to the gravity of the situation, an endeavour to enrol and equip 1,000,000 men every three months is to be made, the new defence programme to include compulsory registration and the calling up of drafts, a start with the registration to be .in operation within five weeks. An increase of £1,200,000,000 over appropriations already proposed has been notified by the authorities to the Senate Military Committee. This is indeed a programme of reassuring dimensions.