useful development-the Air Service, in its protection of our forests; the Chemical Warfare Service, in its extermination of agricultural pests; the Medical Department, in its research of various kinds; the Ordnance Department, in its development of steel; and, finally, the line of the Army with its projects for the development of our physical manhood and better citizenship.

Altogether, the Secretary's address will give the unbiased citizen much to think about. In a word, it will picture for him a Government institution designed primarily for use in war, but finding for itself and exercising a peacetime function of equal value to the country. Incidentally, it will serve to disabuse his mind of the popular impression that the Army is an institution upon which he is forced to spend money uselessly during the long periods when there is, happily, no occasion for its primary function.

Curbing the Traffic in Medals

C

ONGRESSMAN JULIUS KAHN of California, Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, and a sympathetic, staunch friend of the Army, has recently introduced a bill in Congress which, if it receives favorable consideration by that body, will make the wearing of unauthorized War Department medals or decorations a criminal offense.

The provisions of this meritorious measure are as follows:

That hereafter the wearing, manufacture, or sale of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Medal, or any of the service.

medals or badges awarded by the War Department, or the ribbon, button, or rosette thereof of the form as is or may hereafter be prescribed by the Secretary of War or of any colorable imitation thereof is prohibited, except when authorized under such regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe.

Any person who offends against the provisions of this section shall, on conviction, be punished by a fine not exceeding $250 or by imprisonment not exceeding six months or by both such fine and imprisonment.

To many persons it will come as a surprise that there is not now on the statute books necessary legislation designed to protect the honors of the United States Army and the status of soldiers who not only played their parts in war but who, in many cases, performed deeds of exceptional heroism.

The War Department has made repeated efforts to effect such legislation, but Mr. Kahn's bill seems to be the first that gives promise of eradicating an evil which is spreading by leaps and bounds-the traffic in war decorations and the barter of honestly earned honors for the proverbial mess of pottage.

It is a matter of common knowledge that pawnshops in many of the larger cities throughout the country are beginning to display Victory medals for sale without fear of consequences. In some cases it is even possible to obtain the Distinguished Service Cross. The prices for Victory medals vary according to the number of battle clasps the purchaser desires.

It is of course almost inconceivable that a soldier should part with his badge of courage for the trifling sum offered by pawnbrokers, yet it is

charitable to assume that the necessity for a paltry amount of money was desperately urgent. The fact remains, however, that War Department decorations are being openly displayed for sale and that this insidious traffic belittles the sacrifices and heroism represented by the medal on every soldier's blouse.

The sale of these medals provides the slacker, the man with the dishonorable discharge, and the boaster an opportunity to masquerade at the expense of honest fighting men.

It is hoped that Mr. Kahn's bill will receive favorable consideration by Congress and that the Federal Government will be enabled to prosecute the offenders.

A

The Answer

COUPLE of months ago, delegates representing some sixtyfive or seventy thousand reserve officers from every State in the Union, met in convention in Washington.

They came to the convention in response to the call of a committee of reserve officers which, in turn, acted in response to a demand from associations of reserve officers throughout the country-and these delegates came, remained through the convention and returned to their homes at their own expense.

While in convention they formed THE RESERVE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES, adopted a constitution and determined upon a program of action-all of which was fully within their rights as citizens to assemble peacefully for whatever purpose they may choose.

The War Department was not consulted with reference to the convention, for the reason that it was none of the War Department's business. For the same reason the War Department took no part in the convention.

The Chief of Staff, the Deputy Chief of Staff and a number of other Regular Army officers were invited to address the convention and did so, speaking on topics related to the purposes of the convention. Among other remarks, the Chief of Staff, speaking of the requirements of national defense and the difficulties encountered in securing satisfactory provision therefor, said:

When a Regular officer talks of such movements he is immediately accused of harboring selfish motives.

Therefore, it is up to you to take

advantage of your opportunities to outline and guide the mass of people in the proper direction.

Of course, without appropriations your organization can not function, and appropriations will not be forthcoming unless sentiment for a moderate military force is aroused in the masses.

Now, bear in mind that these remarks were addressed to a convention of American citizens, acting in their private capacity and actuated by motives best expressed by the following extracts from the Constitution and from the resolutions passed by the convention:

Article II. The object of this association shall be to support and assist in the development and execution of a military policy for the United States which shall provide adequate national defense.

Article III. Any person holding a commission in the Officers' Reserve Corps of the Army of the United States shall be eligible for active membership in this Association; provided, that officers holding active commissions in the other components of the armed forces of the country in addition to their reserve commissions shall not be eligible to vote or hold office in this Association.

WHEREAS this convention of Reserve Officers, assembled at Washington, D. C., this 3d day of October, 1922, is composed of those whose training, study and personal experience in battle have taught them the sinful and unnecessary waste of money and lives caused by our failure to profit by our past military experiences, and that a strong military policy is essential for the protection of our country and may be even for its preservation, and

WHEREAS the Congress of the United States has for the first time in the history of the country given us a definite military policy in the form of the amended National Defense Act; and

WHEREAS this act is democratic,

fully in accord with all our national prejudices and views, and does not demand excessive expenditures in order to carry out its provisions, and

WHEREAS the present great unrest and lack of tranquility in various parts of the world today make a future emergency involving our country far from an impossibility, and

WHEREAS there exist in this country a number of individuals and societies with the avowed purpose of bringing about disarmament of this country under the mistaken idea that righteousness disarmed need not fear attack, and WHEREAS the country contains a considerable number of communists and other avowed enemies to our existing form of government, and

WHEREAS the country is constantly being subjected to propaganda issuing from foreign countries designed for the purpose of lulling us into a false sense of security, and

WHEREAS the National Defense Act gives a definite program to which every loyal citizen can offer his fullest support without fearing militarism, or excessive expenditures; Therefore, be it Resolved, This Convention of Reserve Officers of the United States ex

press in public to the Congress of the United States, and likewise to the people of the United States, that the time has arrived when all citizens in public and private life must definitely stand by this act and insure its execution through proper appropriations or be considered as one of those who do not stand for adequate national defense of the United States of America; and be it further

Resolved, That this Association, through its national and local officers and through its individual members, constantly bring before Congress as a whole and individual Congressmen and the press of all parts of the United States that the necessity for adequate national defense does exist; that the amended National Defense Act is democratic, is in accordance with the genius

of the American people, is non-militaristic, is economical; that supporting it is a non-partisan action and that the public man who fails to support it is failing in his duty as a citizen of the United States to provide the means necessary to insure the enforcement of the principles on which this government is founded and for which it stands in the eyes of the world.

In consequence, and almost immediately, the Chief of Staff is accused of harboring those same selfish motives he

mentioned.

Labor, under date of October 14, accuses him of "letting the cat out of the bag" and of urging "reserve officers to clamor for more for the professional soldiers in return for which the War Department will hand them commissions as captains, majors and colonels, and permit them to wear the uniform on state occasions."

Go back and reread those extracts from the constitution and the resolutions. Read them and weep for the mental myopia that can see in such action on the part of intelligent, selfsacrificing, representative citizens anything but the most patriotic of motives. Read Article III of the constitution and figure just how Regular Army officers are going to influence the Association in its future conduct.

This is all old stuff that Labor brings forth, revived periodically because it can always be depended upon to make a hit with the unthinking and the disgruntled, but old stuff nevertheless. Nobody who takes the trouble to follow what is being done in a military way in this country or to inquire into why it is being done harbors any fear of the future. They know that a very modest program of defense is being planned by the War Department in

direct compliance with an act of Congress which specifies in detail what the War Department may do. They also know that the Congress that passed this act represented the majority of the people of this country and that under our form of government the will of the majority is the will of the people. What more need be said? If the people want a thing it is their right to have it.

Congress knew what it was doing when it passed the act in question. It knows what it is doing when it annually appropriates the money to carry the provisions of that act into effect. If anyone doubts this statement, let him attend the hearings of the appropriations committees, let him listen to the debates on the floors of both Houses, and let him be enlightened.

If he doubts what the people of the country think about all of this, let him read the editorial comment in the press throughout the country.

Another thing which Labor views with alarm is a recent meeting of manufacturers in Washington for the purpose of considering ways and means of adapting their plants to wartime production.

Of these men, Labor says:

We had some experience with these gentlemen during the Great War. They separated Uncle Sam from several billions contributed by the plain people of this country who purchased liberty bonds.

Now they are organized to get in on the ground floor when the next war starts.

Of course, quite a lot of money was wasted during the Great War. It has been asserted that there were many

who got Government money without giving adequate return. For example, there are those who claim that munitions and shipbuilding corporations did SO. There are others who claim that those who labored for these corporations did so. We do not profess to know if either statement is correct. All we claim is that if more money was spent than should have been; that if in our frantic effort to do our share before it was too late there were leaks we did not have time to stop; that if all this is true, it was due solely to a lack of organization, a lack of preparation that permitted unscrupulous individuals to prey upon our helpless

ness.

That has been fully realized by those in authority and is exactly what Congress had in mind when it provided in the National Defense Act that

Hereafter, in addition to such other duties as may be assigned him by the Secretary of War, the Assistant Secretary of War, under the direction of the Secretary of War, shall be charged with the supervision of procurement of all military supplies and other business of the War Department pertaining thereto and assurance of adequate provision for the mobilization of material and industrial organizations essential to war-time needs.

And that is exactly what the War Department is arranging to do-to make provision in advance, to perfect organization that will prevent leaks and pilfering, petty or otherwise.

Labor ends with the statement that— There never was a time when this country was in less danger of attack from without. If anyone questions that statement, let him name the enemy he fears.

This statement may be authentic.