216 State Papers and Addresses

its best for the national good and in the present emergency we are determined
to follow a similar course. The best is none too good under present world
conditions.

It is obvious that, in such a situation confronting the National Government,
no individual state should undertake plans and preparations which are at vari-
ance with the general plans and preparations for national defense. Accordingly,
we are anxious to cooperate with the Federal authorities and to coordinate
and correlate activities so that they may mesh with the unified efforts pro-
jected by the central government.

In the formulation of its program, however, the National Government
must rely principally upon that which can be afforded by the forty-eight states,
of which Maryland is one. Our State, therefore, as an integral part of the
Union offers unreservedly everything that can be of use to maintain the
integrity of our Country. It was for this reason that, as Governor of the
State, I subscribed unhesitatingly to the Resolution adopted at the Governor's
Conference in Minnesota last month to the effect that the resources of our
State will be pledged to the preservation of our national unity. It was to
follow out this proposal and to afford the means by which these resources
could be made known and made available, if necessary, that this Maryland
Council of Defense and Resources was created.

I desire that the Council undertake, firstly, a survey covering the entire
Maryland situation in so far as it relates to adequate national preparedness
and, also, concerning industrial mobilization; secondly, to study and to project
plans for the effective and timely use of man power, the natural resources and
the industrial capacities which may be desired for national defense; and,
thirdly, to effect plans for cooperation, as Maryland's representative agency,
with the Advisory Council of the National Defense Commission and other
authorized commissions of the Federal Government.

It is unnecessary for me to state that, in order to assure the success of the
activities of the Maryland Council, every facility of the State and local govern-
ments of Maryland will be available and I am equally certain that the patriotic
and loyal assistance of our citizens, and of all private concerns, individual and
corporate, will be at the command of this Council.

With no selfish motive and with no thought of aggression, America must
advance in its military and naval preparedness. Our people are peace-loving
but they are equally determined that our Country must not be exposed to
possibilities of attack or affront. Hating war as we do, we feel that the best
insurance against war is adequate preparedness and that, therefore, we should
be derlict in our duty if we did not exert every possible effort to have the
means of protection afforded to our Country on land, on the sea and in the
air. The sad experience of other countries, inadequately prepared, is a warn-
ing which shall not go unheeded by the American people.

Certain factors present themselves in any consideration of national pre-
paredness. Generally speaking they can be classified as (a) personnel and
(b) material.

In referring to personnel, it is, of course, apparent that the utmost care
and consideration should be given to plans ultimately adopted for the induc-
tion into the Federal service of increased military forces from this State.
While the exact provisions of the Selective Service Act remain to be deter-
mined by Federal authorities, it seems certain that definite requirements will