The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-22

MBs uu0y AbVUu
In closing the debate upon the
Kahn amendment to the army hill In
the House Of Representatives on
Monday Chairman HAY exclaimed
II am for preparedness" Really
Mr.. HAY l. for nothing Of the sort.
II the bill that bears his name pro
vides for increasing the regular army
by small instruments Of 10000 men
= year until II reaches "A strength "
Iio.sO II l. mo-, with the Hon. JANIS
HAY, approvnI--hi> hand has been
forced. Political considerations re-
quire that something shall he don"
about the army: besides. President
WILSON'S programme calls for - cor
tain amount Of preparedness "a
Chairman HAY l. II good Democrat.
Let us see what the chairman "f tho
Committee on Military Affairs said
ON the subject when it was under dis.
cusslon on January II. 1918. nearly
six months after the outbreak OF war
in Europe:
Il am utterly opposed To adding q
single man 20 the standing army 81 &.
now exists. 7 am not IN sympathy with
| those uho want to add rs. 900 men and
! 1000 ohicers to the regular army now.
what would that cost? II would eos
S2i.0oo.o00 alone. just that. and would
add TO our military expenditures s27..
100000 a year
At that time. fourteen months age.
Mr.. HAY. IL nov. riiicul.i ia" appre.
h"nsion that preparedness was nece>-
>try. The United States was safer
from attack than 1t had aver been in
its history. why. Mr.. Chairman"
>tid he. Tho United States has n
latent power greater than that Of any
other country. ar "f any other three
countries. in the civilized world
Mr.. Hay talk, in the same strain
now. There l. q u country IN
earth to-day" he said in the House
on Monday. that has any idea of
making war IN the United States
To II domestic statesman thar i I'M
un>weruble logic. You must discover
that some country l. mcditntinc war
the country against possible invasion.
Ii will be- time enough then Ia tap the
latent resources Of the nation. which
Mr.. HAY asserts are greater than
those Of ANY other three countries
in the civilized world This l. the
old style Of preparedness. And, to
on January 81, 1918. any other kind
OF preparedness i maintained lat the
expense OF our harbor>. al our pub.
lie buildings. "f our roads, and of all
the other activities which ought to
engage our attention.
II l. not difficult To read the mind,
Of Mr.. HAY and his friends who pro.
fess To he for preparedness hut actu-
ally are not. They are gambling
| upon the chances of the war. II the
Allies should he victorious prepared.
hess would be n dead issue. Mr.. HAY
assumes the Allies are going to win.
But. on the other hand, II the Tcu.
tonic Powers should prevail Ger
many would be too exhausted to
tamper with American policies. There
fore. why any preparedness? II
would he expensive, and the Demo
Gratis would he held responsible for
increasing the tax burden.
As for rho proposal It f~edpralizc
the National Guard. in spite OF the
protests OF the best military authori-
ties, l. 1t not good politics from the
Democratic point Of view? The or.
ganized militia would he paid out of
the Federal Treasury, and would
want more and more money As the
years rolled round. There are 10
votes in the volunteer army plan
which the Senate army bin provides
for. 81 am for preparedness! eX-
claims Mr.. HAY. For Just n little.
the increase of the regular army by
small annual instruments. which he
accepted reluctantly. The rest is poll.
ties. we fear.