Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-18
Secretary of War Baker Writes
Letter GfaveIy Criticizine
InadeQuacy of Bill intro
duced,
INCREASE NOT ENOUGH
FOR C0UNTRY'S NEEDS
Senate Measure Is Also to Be
Rushed Through Under
Pressure From President,
Who Urges Speed.
10y MORNING .ousa.. s,re,.l 4s.sso S,sr,

! washington, March lG--Natonil
defense legislation overshadowcd ev-
cry other legislative issue today IN
both houses Of congress The fact
! standing out most sharply from
whole day of debate and discussion,
was that only one voice had been rais-
ed against military preparedness Qs
a national policy, that Of Meyer Lon
! don, of New York, the only socialist
member of the congress.
Delay by Amendments.
! The house completes more than
I half of its set subject OF ten hours
general debate on the army increase
bill. More than two score members
expressed their views. The great
majority favored the committee bill
/ which is the most sweeping military
measure ever considered In the coun-
! try in peace times Many amend
ments to be offered were announced,
! however, and the prospect of passing
the bill by tomorrow night virtually
I vanished. 1t may be late next. week
/ before the final vote is taken.
Haste in senate.
In the senate Chairman Chamber
lain announced that he would seek
to have the military committees per-
fected army bill taken up next Mon
day. The water power bill must be
( displaced to permit this. President
4 Wilson's appeal for haste on prepar-
edness measures. it was thought to-
night, would lead the power bill adj
yocates TO yield their place without
a struggle.
No Night Session.
The failure of any organized oppo-
sition to the purpose Of the army
bill to show itself on the house floor
led Representative Hay, chairman Of
the house committee. to abandon the
night session, provided for under the
special rule which gives the bill right
Of way. The accumulation of amend
ments to be offered also influenced
his decision. They can not be taken
mp until the ten-hour general debate
is ended. After that the five minutes
speech rule viii apply, so it was re-
garded as useless to hold night ses-
sions in an effort to get through to-
morrow night.
TOO Onc-sided for Interest.
The general debate will conclude
early tomorrow and the struggle with
amendments begin Several members
of the committee, all Of whom signed
the report on the bill. will propose
changes in specific sections. They
are not bound by any committee
agreement. As member after mem-
/ ber added his approval to the plan
for increasing the army during the
day interest in the debate tagged fl
! was too onc-sided to attract a crowd
At times there were not more than
a score Of seats filled on the floor
Party Lines Forgotten.
Party lines were utterly forgotten
( i'm the discussion. Representative Hay
faced the house for an hour deliver
ing no set speech but ready to answer
/ questions from any quarter Repre-
sentative Kahn, ranking minority
member of the committee, frequently
| interviewed to aid the chairman in
presenting the committees views. The
two divided the debate time between
/ them, since there was no one to lead
/ an opposition.
Gardner Criticizcs Bill.
i The bill was attacked sharply by
/ Representative Gardner, Of Massachu-
setts. He declared that while II
makes noise like preparedness, 1t is
not a very noisy noise" To support
his assault upon the figures as to
what the bill would accomplish pre-
pared by Representative Hay. Mr.
Gardner read a copy Of a letter from
Secretary Baker. the new head of
the war department.
The letter disputed the accuracy Of
the figures by which Mr.. Hay sought
to show that t,324.790 men would be
Immediately available for national
army if the house bill was enacted.
Using the same method Of calculation
as that employed by Mr. Hay it said
| I'VE should have now available with
out any legislation, 1,2S4,700 men
who have had some military train
ing
10000 Regulars Added.
"In other words" the letter added,
"the only immediate effect Of the
passage of the house army bill would
be to increase the regular army by
10000 men, and even that Increase
being added in four annual incre-
ments. would require about four years |
time TO be recruited and a still longer |
time to become effective
The letter presented reports and |
figures to support conclusion that
the actual number Of men Of military |
age in the country who have had any |
military training al all is 478,7O00 |
THE only adequately trained men in
the country" ii concluded, "are the
regular army and the army reserve.
Baker Explains Views.
The severity of this official ar
raignment Of the house bill aston
shed many members At the war
department, Secretary Baker said
there was no controversy between Mr..
Hay and himself. The variance IN
figures. he explained, resulted from /
different opinions held by officers Of
the war college. which supplied the
information contained in the letter TO
Representative Gardner, and the adj