The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-04-30
CAVALRY FORCE
NOT TO Be CUT
HAWAII FIGURES IN BOTH SIDES
? OF DISCUSSION IN DEBATE
IN THE SENATE.

WASHINGTON, April IL. Senate
Democrats today turned on the army
reorganization provisions inserted by
the Democratic house into the army
appropriation bill and assisted the Re-
publicans in striking from the measure
the clause reducing the cavalry force
from fifteen regiments to ten.
This was the FIRST of the house logis-
lative provisions reached, and it is con-
sidered likely now that all of them will
be eliminated.
After debate that lasted all day the
committee amendment striking out the
house provision was adopted by vote
of forty.seven to six. Seventeen Demo.
Gratis voted against the house plan and
only five voted for it. They were SEN
ators Clarke, of Arkansas; Gore, of
Oklahoma; overman, of North Caro-
lima; Swanson, of Virginia, and Will
liams, of Mississippi. The one Repub-
lican to vote with them was Senator
Gronna, of North Dakota.
Abandon Hawaii.
In the debate, Williams, formerly
leader Of his party in the house, tried
to get his colleagues to support the
house provision. He declared that the
only branch of the army that should
now be larger than it was before the
Spanish War is the coast artillery.
The Philippines and Hawaii, he said,
had not been considered in an argl-
ment for larger army as our first
move in case of war would be to aban-
don them, trusting to their recovery
later when we negotiated for peace.
Senators Warren and Briggs replied
to him on the Republican side, and Sen
ator MARITIME of New Jersey, answered
for the Democrats. MARITIME said that
only the three senators who had voted
against the arbitration treaties had
right to vote now for a larger army,
but as he was one of the three he would
vote to retain the five regiments of
cavalry. The millennium of peace, he
said, had not yet come, and he read
from statement showing that Great
Britain now has ten dreadnoughts, four
armored cruisers and some smaller craft
ready to launch.
Du Points Explanation.
In memorandum submitted by SEN
ator du Pont he says of the senate
changes in the Army bill:
"The proviso which reduced the num-
Der of cavalry regiments from fifteen
to ten has been omitted for several
reasons.
"First. It was inserted without con-
sultation with the military authorities
and is strongly opposed by them as
greatly weakening the regular army,
or first line Of defense, which should
be strong in cavalry for the reason
that if volunteers be called out regi
ments of cavalry cannot be organized,
instructed and made efficient nearly as
quickly as can regiment of infantry.
"Second. The number of cavalry
regiments is not more than is needed
under present conditions.
"While, as compared with the num-
Der of existing infantry regiments, the
number of cavalry regiments is rather
more than 10 considered theoretically
necessary for well balanced force,
the conditions in our Army differ from
continental Europe, whence we get or
ideas of we'll balanced force. The
number Of cavalry regiments for the
regular Army was fixed by law in 1901,
after careful and mature elaboration.
1t is to be remembered that the regular
Army is our first line of defense, and
that after it comes the militia, which
has not a sufficient force of cavalry to
balance the militia regiments of infan-
try. There are very few militia organ
izations Of cavalry, and the few that
exist usually hire horses when needed.
"The service that our cavalry is
actually performing on our southwest
ern boundary cannot be performed eff
fciently by foot troops, and in this
connection it may be stated that even
with our present fifteen regiments of
cavalry it has been fond necessary to
augment our mounted troops in that
region by force Of Texas rangers.
at is submitted that when, in ad-
dition to tho previous duties of the
regular Army, at least $4,000 men are
neither the proper nor the appropriate
moment for the reduction of the mill
tary establishment.
"Third. The resulting economies
will not compensate the country for
the diminution in the efficiency of our
first line of iefense.'
required for the defense of the Canal
Zone and at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, it is
| "A.