The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-08
Senator Declares That Military Expenses Are Far Beyond
 Any Reason
PHILL|PPIC DELIVERED
 AGAINST BIGGER ARMY
With Appropriation of the Army Bill Amounting To Nearly $1oo,ooo,oo0, Senator Hale Uses His Text
 With Emphasis. q

Washington. April IA warning against increasing expenditures for the military establishment of the United States was sounded in the Senate today by Senator Hale of Maine, chairman Of the commit tee on naval affairs. and his alarm was taken up and repeated by other senators.
 The discussion was based on signed article printed in the Washington Post to- day saying in effect that Secretary Taft favored a reorganization and an enlarse- ment of the army that would bring it up to 125,OO0 men. The immediate oc- casion for Senator Hale's speech was the passage yesterday of the army appropria- tion bill. carrying nearly S1000 000O GOO. and he used it as showing the tendency of the times.
 Moving to reconsider the vote by which the army bill was passed. Mr. Hale said senators did not realize that 70 per cent of the revenue of the government was to- day expended for what has been termed the needs of past, present and future wars
 What is going on" continued Mir Hale,
 without senators or the country being aware of 1t. is the enormous increase of the military establishment to the preju- dice of all othet appropriations and claims. We cannot sat consideration of | other bills because as everybody knows, | the revenues are waning, and we are like | ly to be confronted with a deficit, and in not many months ahead we shall be sub jeet to spending more money than comes into the treasury from the existing and ordinary sources. We cannot pass the omnibus appropriation bill which has thousands of items that ought to be paid as much as note at hand; we are 10 have no rivers and harbors bill because it Is a peace bill; we can have no public building bill because the military expenses are mounting so rapidly that we cannot afford these items that are for peace"
 Big Increase Ahead.
 MT. Hale recapituated appropriations for military purposes and said every item represented great appropria tions for the future. There had he said, been in- crease of $20000,000 in the appropriations for the army and about the same Increase for the macy. This. he said did not rep- resent the enormous increase' for the navy, as only two instead of four battle- ships are provided for.
 .When you build up 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 a naval appropria- tion in three or four years that will amount to $150, 100000 annually"
 Senator Gallinger said the article in the Post today seemed to be inspired. Senator Warren, chairman of the com mittee on military affairs, said he did not believe that the published plan re- ferred to was inspired.
 AIdrich Disputes.
 MT. Aldrieh suggested that it was im portant in the Senate and elsewhere among the people who will decide this question ultimately that there should be a statement that no such army is con templated.'
 ''Ths is the first I have heard of the Secretary of War having any such idea about increasing the army said MT. Warner. This is probably matter un- der consideration in the department and it has arrived at n point where it has been heard of by newspaper writer
 T hope' said MT. Hale. resuming, that this enormous. unreasonable and wicked programme is not the judgment of the Secretary of War;
 MT. 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.
 That" he said. lis the opinion of the chief of the general staff, who is the head of the operating party of the army with authority during the prolonged, frequent and necessary absences of the Secretary of War;
 Army Must Be Greater.
 ''If this programme is carried out we will have an army costing $500 000.000 and nothing short that will satisfy the army. I hope wherever the Secretary of War shall be we shall not be called upon to make this enormous expenditure. l still have in my mind a residuum of hope that the alleged programme for army enlargement is not to be carried out and that the Secretary of War has not programme for such expenditures of funds drawn from all the people wish to call attention to this distinctive feature of the enormous increases of the military establishment of the govern ment to the proiesct and the dearth of ap- propriations that are peaceful and which deal not with soldiers and sailors, armies and navies, ranks and grades, epaulets and paraphernala.
 MT. Hale spoke of the Philippine Islands as "pestilenee." which had contributed to the policy of military expansion. He said the general staff would not abandon any rckety post because of this proposed military expansion. The army, he said. looked upon the governments revenues as great reserve for appropriations and the naval officers. with few ex- captions, he declared had the same idea.
 The navy today. he said, was the sec ond navy of the world and yet naval men wanted it doubled.
 The navy, he said. was now and would continue to be useless.
 "Y Var Desired.
 Mir Hal the reason given for this enlargeS he army and navy was