Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-08

RAP TAFT
SECRETARY'S MILITARY PLAN
ATTACKED
SCHEME TO INCREASE ARMY
ARoUsEs IRE OF soLoNs
Hale and Others Declare country's
Expenses Are Now Far in
Excess of the Re-
ceipts
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, April IA warning
against increasing expenditures for the
military establishments of the United
States was sounded in the senate today
by Senator Hale, chairman of the COM
mittee on naval affairs, and his alarm
was taken up and repeated by other
senator's
The discussion was based on an
article printed in a Washington news
paper today, saying, in effect, that Sec
retary Taft favored reorganization
and an enlargement of the army that
would bring 1t up to 125,000 men.
The immediate occasion for Senator
Hale's speech was the passage yester-
day of the army appropriation bill,
it as showing the tendency of the
times.
Moving to reconsider the vote by
which the army appropriation bill was
passed, Senator Hale said senators did
not realize that 20 per cent of the
revenues of the government were today
expended for what has been termed the
needs of present, past and future years.
Hale Attacks Plan
What is going on continued Mr..
Hale, without senators or the country
being aware of it? Are the enormous
increases of the military establishment
to the prejudice of all other appropria-
tions and claims? We cannot get con-
sideration of other bills because every
body knows the revenues are waning
and we are likely to be confronted with
a deficit, and before many months we
shall be found spending more money
than comes into the treasury from the
existing ordinary sources.
I'VE cannot pass the omnibus appro-
priation bill which has thousands of
items that ought to be paid as much
as note at hand; we are to have no
river and harbor bill because it is a
peace bill; we can have no public build
ing bill because the military expenses
are 'H5Jui1tine SO fsapIdfy that we cannot
afford these items that are for peace.
Mr. Hale recapftulated appropriations
for military purposes and said every
item represented great aims of the fu-
ture. There has been. he said, an m
crease of $20,000000 In the appropria-
tions for the army and about the same
increase for the navy. This he said,
did not represent the enormous in,
crease for the navy, as only two instead
of four battleships are provided for"
Big Sum for Navy
when you build up a navy" he de.
clared, ''you only begin to spend money.
You commit the country to repairs and
maintenance, making necessary an in
creasing appropriation, and If you go
on we are going to have naval ap-
propriation in three or four years that
will amount to $15O,OO0, 900 annually
Senator Gallinger called attention to
an article published in Washington
paper relative to an ambitious pro-
gram for an enlargement OF the army
Senator Gallinger said the article
seemed to be inspired.
Senator Warren promptly interrupted
Mr.. Gallinger. He did not believe the
published plan referred to was inspired,
and said so far as he was concerned
he would be very slow to commit HIM
self.
Mr.. Aldrich suggested that 1t was i'm
portant in the senate and elsewhere,
"among the people who Will decide tnls
question ultimately, that there should
be a statement that no such army is
contemplated"
''This is the first 1 have heard of the
secretary of war having any such idea
about increasing the army" said SEN
ator Warren. This Is matter under
consideration in the department, and
it has arrived at a point where IT mas
been heard of by newspaper writer.
"I hope" said Mr.. Hale, resuming,
that this enormous, unreasonable and
wicked program is not the Judgment OF
the secretary of war;
Mr.. Hale declared that any one who
talks with the general staff of the army
as senators have done within Few
days, will be told that the army has
got to be doubled.
Laugh at Taft
.oTbat." he said, sis the opinion of the
chief of the general staff, who Is the
head of the operating part of the army
with authority during the prolonged
frequent and necessary absences OF the
secretary of war;" sally which occa-
stoned a smile throughout the senate
chamber.
"If this program is carried out" re-
sured Mr. Hale, 1--WE will have an army
costing $500, 1000, 900, and nothing short of
that will satisfy the army. | hope.
wherever the secretary of war shall be.
we shall not be called upon to make TINS
enormous expenditure. l still have on
nv mind residuum of hope that that
alleged program for army enlargement
is not to be carried out, and that the
secretary of war has not program for
such expenditures of funds drawn from
all the people. I wish to call attention
to this distinctive feature of the enor-
NOUS increases of the military estab-
lishment of the government to the
prejudice and hurt of appropriations
that are peaceful. and which deal not
with soldiers and sailors, armies and
navies, ranks and grades, epaulets and
paraphernalia."
"PhlIippines Pestience"
Senator Hale spoke of the Philippine
islands as a pestilence which had con-
tributed to the policy of military expan-
sion. He said the general staff would
not now abandon any "rickety post" be-
cause of this proposed military expan-
sion. The army, he said. looked upon
the government revenues as a great
reservoir for appropriations, and the
naval officers, with a Few exceptions.
he declared. had the same idea. The
navy. he said, was the second navy of
the world and yet naval men wanted II
(COntinued on Page Twc)