Evening star., 1915-01-10


and deficiencies for military establish
ment in deficiency acts 113,O1,133.17
Army appropriation acts. ........... S6S,5369933l
Military Academy acts............. 13,SO2 $500
Total Observation-Disclosures. s1,OO7, ,41O.27O.4s
However, spite of this showing of the great expense
of maintaining small army, the militarists keep up
their clamor-partculary at such time as this, and
again whenever military appropriation bill is up for
consideration in the House-that this country be
sadded with great standing army. There is not the
slightest need of such establishment. But, there
were some slight indication of trouble with fully
equipped great power would the people of this country
be ready to embark policy that would mean the
permanent maintenance of regular standing army of
100000 men9 1t would cost this country, at
servative estimate $500 100000 year to go through
with such undertaking.
Under existing conditions and in the circumstances
that surround it is incredible that anything but
dsapproval would greet serious proposal to put such
expense upon the public. 1t must be remembered
that not obliged to have army for offensive
purposes. What need is force sufficient for de-
fense And it is the part of wisdom to have such
force with the least expense and the least burden
upon the people. 1t must not be forgotten that
have not the compulsory military service that obtains
every country in continental Europe and that there
fore it would be an enormous if not impossible task
to raise under system an army of 100000 men in
time of peace. Even now, with an army of $1,000,
the War Department spends money advertising for
cr1tS and the recruiting OfcerS are hard pressed to
get the they desire. The expense of 5000 600
a year would necesstate the immediate imposition
of burdensome taxes, far in of anything this
country has known except in the time of the Civil
War.
For this reason alone-the heavy taxes-t would be
impossible, l am convinced to increase the army ap
precably without entirely changing military sys
TEN. If anybody doubts that the public would pro-
test against the increased taxation, let them remember
the objections that made in person and through
thousands upon thousands of kilograms and letters
members of Congress when the War Revenue Bill
in of preparation by the Committee Ways
and Means. And every discussion of the bigstanding
army question should take into consideration the fact
that while the Europeans pay their soldiers few
cents day,-some of them little two cents,-
the United States pays its SIS month And
again. in spite of the rdcuously low of pay that
is the universal rule in Europe, the big powers
swamped under their army and navy debts before
they went into the present conflict A big stand
ing army in the United States is financially impossible
just much as it is unnecessary from the military
viewpoint.
MILITARY authorities, backed by the opinions of
" many persons high in civil life, insist that
should be provided with adequate of men,
that may in any time of trouble have who will
be prepared to enter the army fully trained for In
this concur; but in country where military service
not compulsory the method of providing
extremely complex problem that has not yet been