Evening journal., 1915-09-21
HAY FOR LARGER
STANDING U. S. ARMY
Congressman Also Thinks
Militia Should
Get Pay
STANDS BEHIND
THE PRESIDENT

WASHINGTON. Sept. 21.-Chair-
man James Hay, of the House Com
mittee on Military Affairs has issued
D statement through the National Sc
rurity League in which he outlined
for the first time his views upon the
question of national defense.
In this statement Mr.. Hay gives
definite assurance that he Is not op
posed TO an increased appropriation
for the army and navy; that he is not
now and never has been antagonistic
10 the Presidents policy in this re-
gard, but, on the contrary, is anx-
Ious to support a moderate increase
in the military establishment
Perhaps the most important pro-
posal which Mr. Hay makes is that for
pay for the National Guard, which
body, he thinks. should form the basis
for an army reserve This is in line
with the views of many leading Demo-
Gratis in the House and Senate
Mr.. Hays statement is as follows:
"As the President will have his
recommendations to submit to Con-
gress after full conference with the
heads of the Army and Navy depart
ments. and as the question Of acting
upon those recommendations will
have to be decided by the entire Con-
gress, l have refrained from making
any public statement as to my indi-
\ vidual views on the national defense.
] shall be guided in large measure
by the Presidents views. because !
believe he is broad enough TO consider
the interests of the entire people and
wise enough to submit plans which
will be efficient without adding too
largely to our burden of taxation. In
Congress, too. there. will be many
different views which must be har-
monized. because the Democratic ma
jority is only 80. It will be necessary,
therefore. to wait until Congress can
give full consideration to all matters
connected with national defense after
u it assemblies instead of predicting
now what ought to be or what will
De done
81 may say, however, that our pres.
snt standing army is allowed a strength
of 100000 men. About 9l 900 are actu.
ally enlisted. The army now costs us
4 Sl200OO0 600 a year. The full strength
of the army is 10000. in addition tc
pay given the National Guard, would
cost us Sl40.0O0,0O0 If we had 10000
men. which is said to be as many as car
be enlisted, owing to the demands for
industrial service. we would have tC
spend 100000 900 II we had an army
of 100000 men, which some people advo
cate. 1t would cost us 100000. .OO0
do not believe that the people woult
/. want that burden, or that they woult
expect Congress to impose it upor
them. Neither do I believe that thu
American people want compulsory mill
tary service.
"1 heartily agree with the President
that our citizen soidiery should be
given more attention. Il might be
proper, for instance. to encourage en-
listment in the National Guard by
paying its members 25 per cent. OF
the amount paid to regular soldiers
which would be $50 year and which
would probably cost us SS.0O0.000 ad.
ditional TO the present army cost fol
the first year.
1T may be wise also to Increase
the field artillery. now consisting 81
six regiments. TO twice that number
as the war in Europe has demon.
strated that this is 2 most potent arm
OF the service. Il should be known
however, that in the past four yeari
more money has been appropriated
for field artillery and field artillery
ammunition than in the previous II
years, and this artillery and ammuni
tion are in reserve. As for officers
II should be known that there are II.
military schools in this country whicl
are turning out 10000 students eacl
year. many of whom would make goo
officers"
Representative Hays statement n
dicates that the advocates of adequat
preparedness will probably secure a
Increase of 10000 TO the regular arm,
which is the figure named in a lette
recently written to the National S.
curity League by Senator Chamberlai
of Oregon. chairman of the Senat
Committee on Military Affairs Their
Is no doubt that measures TO increas
the strength and efficiency of the NJ
tional Guard will find favor and th
pathway in this direction will be mad
easier by the attitude now being a
sumed by organized labor.
The Maryland and District of G
lumbia Federation of Labor last wee
adopted a resolution openly approvin
the enlistment of its members in mil
tary bodiej
"A man who is a wage-earner an
honorably working at his trade {
calling to support himsel and thos
dependent upon him.. the resolutio
declares, "has not only a right to b'
come a citizen soldier. but that rigl
must and will be unquesioned by tn
organization
President Samuel Gompers, of th
American Federation of Labor, he
also come out in a statement whic
says that organized labor will be h
hind President Wilson in a reasonab
program for adequate national d
fense.
Il think organized labor throughol
e the country realizes that at presel
neither our army nor our navy is ad
ouate, and that both should be il
creased within reasonable limits"
declared What labor favors in add
tion to a standing army is a large cit
gen army. national militia Of train'
men,
GETS s61.2S VERDICT.