The United States Army has undertaken a Survey of the highway system of the United States to determine to what extent and where new roeds may have to be built to facilitate the movements of a high-speed mobile army of defence, Lieut-Gen. Hugh A. Drum, commander of the First Army, has declared, according to the New York "Times."
General Drum declared that while the survey of the roads was still going on in other Sections of the country it hed been completed in the Northeast—which means New England and the New York area—and added that he had "been greatly surprised to see whet little improvement is needed along the coast lines." "Of course," he added, "as much cannot be said for the interior border of the country, but, then, it is unlikely that we may have io defend ourselves dong that line."
The quality and number of United States highways over which an army must be moved in the event of action was a secondary but important part of General Drum's principle! concern—the creation of a "mobile ground force, divorced from territorial restrictions, trained and equipped for prompt service wherever and whenever needed." The present disposition of the Army through the country at scattered posts, camps and forts, led the general to declare that it was now "remarkably well organized to fight any number of Indian wars."
"I cannot," he continued, "emphasize too strongly that in a modern army leadership in the subordinate ranks plays a most important role. At no time has the individual soldier ever faced greater personal responsibil: ties than he faces today. In meny respects the corporal of today requires the leadership qualities of the lieutenant of yesterday."
Making America Invincible Making Americe invincible, he said, was an "all out" proposition necessitating the undivided effort of all the population and the utilization of every national resource.
In closing he listed eight precepts with the Observation that "after 42 years of continuous commissioned service in our Army, I am convinced of the wisdom of these views."
They were:
"That modern warfare requires total defence actively supported by all the people of the nation.
"We must be resolute and prompt in our determination to free the defence services frame the archaic restraints of another day.
"We must be patient in the face of inevit able delays resulting from years of neglect of national defence requirements.
"We must be sound in our tactical training and emphasize that the individual soldier remains the master of the machine and that men till rules in warfare.
We must be bold in our conception of a combined mobile ground and air unit, organized, equipped end prepared for prompt action.
"Moreover, we must see our present effort for preparedness i ie light—our convictions and our national spirit must begin to have effect. The fire of defence must burn in our souls—we must drive ourselves and raise our thoughts end actions to a spiritual pitch which will demand efficiency in our defence efforts.
"We must change our present approach from that of training and equipping forces, to that of preparing them for all the human prob-Jems end sacrifices demanded by actual battle. Not until such an attitude leads our efforts will the efficiency essential to modern war be assured.
"Finally, above all, we must be frank in our acceptance of the fact that America rem: the only champion left on the ramparts of democracy which has all the means (man power and machinery) essential to preserve our philosophy of life."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.