The age-herald., 1898-12-13
OPPOSED TO
 A BIG ARMY

Washington, December 9.-The army re- organization bill is dividing the interest in congress vii the Nicaraguan canal bill. Congressmen seen tonight speak as follows, Senator Henry M. Teller, of Colorado;
 ''I think there is no necessity for stand- ing army of 900 men, and I feel very sure that congress is not going to raise such an army. Our regular army is now about 61,oO0 men strong. but as soon as peace is declared next week or the week after, un- der the ruling of congress the army must be placed on a peace basis. During the last session of congress we added two artillery regiments to the standing army. We may have to authorize a further increase in this direction because we are building great coast defences. These will be of no ac- count, of course, if we have not trained ar- tillerymen, men who can handle these great guns and make them useful in time of war; I see no necessity for any further increase. l think the country should rely its tional guard. This should be recognized and placed on such a basis that in the fu- ture when volunteers wanted entire regiments of national guardsmen could be accepted. If we were to have a big war in which half million or a million men were needed we would have to call for volun-
 
 pend volunteers. We will always have to look to them. The national guard should be the care of the country rather than a large standing army.
 "As to the details of reorganization, think that before congress is through the entire war department will be revolutions fzed. The commanding general of the army, military man, should be the responsible head. To him all the staff should look for their instruction. We should not be forced to depend upon civilian who happens to be secretary of war. He may, perhaps, be an accident in any cabinet and know noth- ing at all of military usage and needs. Be- fore all this is over congress will have found the weak places in the war depart ment and will make the necessary changes
 "A great navy is what this country needs. In the building of 1t our money should be spent. We can raise, an army in three months, as good any standing army the country has ever seen. The only necessity of volunteer is to learn how to take care of himself. He will fight just as well at one time as at another. But we can't build ships in month. All the wars of the fu- ture we will have to meet with our navy so the great necessity lies in spending our money Tn that direction"
 senator William b. Harris, of Kansas:
 Much as l regret it, I fear the regular army must be increased to 100000 men, see no other course left for us to follow than to grant very heavy increase It may De possible to accomplish all our ends with a smaller force, but doubt it. The com ing of our new colonies has added this bur. den to the peoples load. We have to take care or these colonies, and | do not sec now we can escape large standing army
 In the reorganization of the army a bill Tor which will soon be before congress I think some marked changes should be made. The first and the greatest Is to take from the secretary of war powers which he now holds and place them in the hands of the general commanding the army. The various bureaus should also be changed and the responsibility for the whole conduct or the army placed on the shoulders of a military man, the general commanding. Our secretary of war is anomaly, and his powers are entirely too extensive.
 Tn the future, though I think the coun- try should devote itself to the building of greater navy rather than to spend money on large standing army, The sea power is the one which will rule in the future We must meet all our opponents in the fu- ture on the sea- Our policy, then, should be a great navy and as small a standing army as possible.'
 Representative De Armond:
 
 less thing in a republic like ours. It might soon become also most dangerous thing. 1 do not commit myself to the proposition that our regular army ought not to be in- creased somewhat but the reasons for the increase, if any, ought to be clear and strong"
 Representative Richardson:
 We cannot and should not maintain a vast standing army in time of peace. Our reliance must be on volunteers. We may have to make small increase, but it should not be great. The military estab- lishment of our country was large enough and strong enough for us until war came up last summer. Then we were forced to resort to volunteers
 General Joseph Wheeler:
 "I was surprised to see that I was re- ported as saying that I had determined to resign from congress. l have never gone further than to say that when I had time I would give the matter an investigation, and would do what was right. The state- ment that the president had asked me to advocate the army bill is untrue. The pres ident never in any way made such request or even made any allusion to the army bill or any other legislation.
 .'I deny the statement that the democratic party is opposed to an increase of the army. Democrats realize that during the last six months a great change has taken place in our country We have become the first power in the world, and an increase in the army has become necessity"
 Representative Claude A. Swanson, Vir- ginia:
 q am additionally opposed to a great army establishment. But undoubtedly 1t will be necessary to add to the army for use in Porto Rico and Cuba. I cannot say now what the increase should be, but 100,- 900 men are preposterously beyond the ne- cessities of the case. We are having great navy built, and I presume it could be put to use in protecting our possessions"
 Representative w. A. Jones, Virginia, said T am opposed of course, to such an increase to the standing army as is con templated. I would favor only such an in- crease as would be absolutely necessary, say for in Porto Rico and in Cuba, so long army, part of an army, be needed in these islands I would also favor an increase of the artillery for coast de- fense."
 Representative D. H. Smith (dem), Ken-