Show America ca Prepares lor for Fateful Day M With Prayer That It May Never Come COllIe Industrial and Military 1 Mobilization I Plans Being Perfected Against Day of Invasion By y- y JOSEPH W. W LaBINE It cant can't happen here here but but then again it might In 1938 Uncle Sam casts a suspecting glance across the waters that separate te him from Europe and Asia just wondering Will another World war break breakout breakout breakout out Will the United States be asked to defend South America from invasion In In- Indeed Indeed Indeed deed will the United States herself be invaded Unpleasant thoughts all of them but the peace treaty of Munich Muni h and Japans Japan's suc suc- successful successful successful conquest of the Far East have convinced most Americans that the Boy Scout motto Be prepared is a good national motto Since October 1 the government has inaugurated in in- inaugurated a flung far program for military and economic mobilization protection against what the army chiefs chiers call M Day DayAs As early as last winter congress appropriated funds for expanding our army partly the result of Gen Malin Craigs Craig's insistences insistence that nation nation- national al defenses be repaired before he retires next year from his post as chief of staff staff This is the third year of record army expenditures the 1938 1036 outlay being Next years year's program will cost an estimated plus pIus high ap op- appropriations ap- ap appropriations likely for navy and air expansion economic and civilian de de- de- de Guard Against Uprising Day M-Day may never nc come and sure sure- surely surely surely ly the army army cannot predict what part port of the nation it would be called upon to defend Listed in order of their probability the four causes of American mobilization are 1 civil uprising on the mainland of the United States 2 war provoked in South America by b fascist expansion 3 any war in Europe or or Asia into which the United States might be drawn and 4 invasion of the Unit Unit- United United United ed States mainland Though most M-Day M preparations are naturally secret it is known that the nation is divided into a large number of possible battle zones with highways airplane land land- landing landing landing ing fields Gelds and fighting equipment al al- already already already ready designated in advance De De- Depending Depending pending on which of the four above emergencies the army and navy might be called upon to meet planes fleet and all branches of the t is r d dS y S fib S N f S A AI v I i i 1 GUARDING invading MANHATTAN Invading enemy planes would probably bomb cities like lile New York ork first Testing its defenses the army scans skies shies over Times Square army arc are being trained to co coordinate coordinate coordinate nate their movements One of General Craigs Craig's ambitions is to increase our standing army but not much over the present troops More important to him is a well-trained well well equipped re re- reserve reserve re- re reserve serve army Thus almost overnight it is hoped to mobilize men in an emergency These would in in- include include include clude the standing army na na- national national na- na national reservists and the national guard Though small this force could repel an invader four months while an an additional million men were being trained behind the trenches Air Corps Powerful Power CuI The army air corps now has 1250 planes with 1050 on order and an additional 2320 slated for comple comple- completion tion before 1910 1940 This will place the United States in an enviable air power position pos since our our bombing planes are already superior to those of most nations On the infantry side the army hopes to increase tank regiments and modernize fight fight- fighting fightIng ing tactics Only 2 of the 14 cavalry regiments are arc now mechanized and andfield andfield andfield field artillery equipment is deficient But with sufficient time and large appropriations the cavalry and field artillery handicaps can be over over- overcome come M-Day M preparations place heavy emphasis on industrial mobilization Directed by Louis A. A Johnson as as- assistant assistant assistant secretary of war the army has located factory owners who will turn over their plants to manufacture war necessities at a moments moment's notice With a appropriation the army is now placing educational edu orders with these factories and perfecting dies and machinery which will be sup sup- supplied supplied supplied plied to processors in the event of ot emergency For example typewriter er factories would begin making ri rifle ri- ri rile fie le sights and beer can machinery would make bomb cases Secretary Johnson is also direct direct- directing directIng directing ing plans for mobilization of ot elec elec- Recently announced is a expansion plan for private private private vate utility companies guarantee- guarantee guaranteeIng Ing that the nation will have sufficient sufficient reserve power ver on In M There is some talk of connecting all the nations nation's electric lines Plan Flan Rail Rall Defenses Since railroads would be a vital factor on M-Day M the government is encouraging carriers to expand their lines This problem was recently brought to a head by the carriers carriers' plea for a 15 per cent wage tion Although the request was de de- denied denied de- de denied nied it is likely that next winters winter's congress will vote subsidies to help railroads lay new track and build more powerful equipment Less noticeable are M-Day M plans to train substitute workers who will replace regular factory workers called to the front trenches The government would also regulate prices to prevent profiteering con con- control control control wages and hours and take oth oth- other other er steps to keep the country running smoothly behind its fighting army anny Such preparations require money and although abnormally large army and navy budgets have heretofore been met out of ot regular govern govern- government government government ment income it is just possible that special steps will be taken to meet the new requirements Bernard B Ba- Ba Baruch Baruch Baruch ruch financier and chairman of the theold theold theold old war industries board of 1917 made news a few weeks ago by speaking emphatically about the United States States' responsibility for Western hemisphere integrity Ad Ad- Advocating Advocating a huge rearmament pro pro- program program gram he suggested that that-it that it might have to be financed with a one shot sh t income tax This would be a bitter pill not only for the public but for congress as well Yet Mr Baruch claims we need a two-ocean two navy a standing army arni of ot men and a greatly increased air force He cites figures to show our inferiority to German Germ and Italian military preparations prepa And the amazing a result is that most ot of America agrees with him Whereas five years rs ago this suggestion suggestion suggestion tion would have h ve been b en condemned the recent developments in Asia and Europe are arc making America Americo de de- de- de Incidentally it is hoped that such larger rearmament expenditures will absorb a large part of the nations nation's unemployed thereby reducing relief rolls and en en- encouraging encouraging encouraging economic recovery Perhaps Day M-Day cant can't happen here but talk to a Londoner or Pari Par Parisian Parisian sian sign who shuddered through the Ger man-Czech man crisis and the possibility becomes starkly realistic While no n o American wishes to be a a a- war mon warmonger ger we cannot help consider the awful consequences of or a combined Italian German invasion into the toe Western hemisphere So long as tills this unwelcome possibility exists it would be comforting to know that America is prepared against it D a C Western Newspaper Union V i. i to 1 |