The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-02-02
MILITARY DAYS
IN WASHINGTON
The Senate and House Discuss
Army and Fertilization
Appropriation Bills.
CMan Special to the Advertiser,.

The last seven days have been military
days Military days in the White
House: military days in the Senate;
days in the House That does
not mean war but in these piping
times Of peace it all smacks Of war
political war, legislative war. and,
likewise. real war of great guns and
ehieftains in gold lace.
The House had a skirmish over the
army appropriation bill It generally
has several skirmishes over that war
like measure. Representative John A.
T. Hull. of Des Moines, Iowa. chairman
OF the Military Committee. brought the
bin into the House. carrying total or
81. SIS. 03e, AN increase Of a little over
two and a half million dollars (beyond
what was appropriated for the army
last year, in spite of the utmost effort
OF the committee TO keep the amount
within Ine sum appropriated for the
current fiscal year.
There was plenty of '.jawing'' in the
House about numerous army items.
Legislators are becoming more and
more sensitive about military appro-
pria tons. The fact that some sixty
odd per cent of all the appropriations
Congress makes annually is because Of
war and expectations of war is becorn-
ing more and more impressive to the
congressional mind. as il is TO the mind
of the general public. The Congress
sionaI leaders have been pointing out
that this government is now spending
g larger percentage of its revenues for
military undertakings than any other
nation in the world. That does not
sound just right to them A few years
ago il was a popular theme to point to
Germany as the military ridden coun-
try.
The active skirInish in the House
over the army bin was with reference
10 the high rank of lieutenant general.
Last year the House tried TO prevent
the nomination of more lieutenant gen.
erals. Those officers at the apex of
military rank are becoming numerous.
They are a burden upon the retired
list, already loaded down with null
tftude of retired major generals and
brigadiers. promoted at the eleventh
hour so that they may draw a conpen.
satson from the government for tne
remainder of their days equal to the
pay they have been drawing on active
duty during the last decade or two of
their active service
Representative Prince. of Illinois, a
champion OF army reform. proposed
last year to cut off the rank of lieuten-
ant general but that fine old apostle
Of favo-itism, Representative Charles
II. Grosvenor. OF Ohio, began to agi-
tate against II that his friend. Gen
Henry C Corblns who did a lot OF val
liable Office work during the Spanish
war. might have the benefit Of a promo
ton before his retirement. Then there
were the friends Of Cen Mac Arth-
ur who said that he ought not to be
cut OF. There was an effort 10 abolish
the grade al a date, which would pre-
very anv officer after Gen. Mac Arthur S
retirement from profting by IT. The
House was almost unanimously in fay-
or OF such legisla ton but il was not
made effective last year and the Nil
itary Committee tried to make ii eTec-
tive this year. There We're sehemlng
men. however, who tried to thwart ii
BY parliamentary tactics The House
rose I'D in its might and declared TIA
Unless the Senate succeeds in undoing
this work. there will be no lieutenant
general of the army after 1909. when
Gen. Mae Arthur retires-
There was "a niger in the woodpile-
L was Mai. Gen. Leonard Wood the
Pr.sldsr;,s personal friend and an Of
1ter who has been the subject of more
hitter contention in the army and IN
Congress thar any other officer during
me last twenty years. Gen WOOD has
been in command in the Philippines
bur the President, it is understood, VIII
ssa,7 hiring him 10 the mainland for the
choice station of commander Of the de-
ns-tuent of the East AS Cen Mac
Arthur will retire a little before Pres
i5ant Roosevelt goes out of office, II Is
believed the President would nominate
Gen. Wood for lieutenant general he
would then be assured Of that exalted
rank for about II years Congress 1
firing of Gen. Wood However mer1-
torior1s and efficient his army record
may have been. the assaults upon Din
bsva made some impression Congress
aT,ra -ently wants TO preclude the pos
sibili.v of his becoming Lieutenant
general for a long period of years
probably Congress win have its way.
very brisk exchange occurred over
49, anpropriation Of s750,oe0 for bar
raexs for seacoast artillery The army
authorities are clamoring for more mel
"a serve the seacoast guns The NH
ta-v Committee. which is usually less
Economical than the Appropriation
/ Committee. brought in an appropria-
-, - x-sa n90 for new seacoast bar
-arks the House decided to wrest tne
making of such appropriations HOE
re- Military Committee and to placs
/ = zrf+h ne Appropriations Committee
/ CHAIRMAN Hull is inclined TO DO as ms
War Department wants him TO 90 aoou
amy appropriations; Cairnan 1aHhes
| - he Appropriations Committee,
/ MOVE independent and conservative H'
5aerias the increasing military *
nenses Furthermore q snoconnllt .
- bis committee had been preparln
re forrfscations bin and he claimed
ss the right Of that subcommittee Z
1ess upon items for barracks Tor sea
/ coast artillery
! believing closely upon the neeis
- s-rnv appropriation bill, which IA
- r-ons 10 the Senate for ACTOR
/ -,a-a came the Notifications appEo
--Sstion bill. It carried s5.4eo'oe" 70
/ fo-ti6cations and other WORKS o. p, o =