Arizona republican., 1916-04-16
TWO MORE STEPS T0 STRENGTHEN
 NATIONAL GUARD
Republican A. p. Leased Wire]

prov isions designed to strengthen the federal status of the National Guard were written into the Senate army bill today. In the course of a debate enlivened by charges that federal funds provided the National Guard in past years had been foolishly thrown away and in some cases embedded. the senate adopted amendments pro- viding that all officers of the guard above the rank of captain be paid $500 d year by the federal govern ment and that all guardsmen on en- iiStment be required to take an oath to obey orders from the president as well as the governor of their states.
 The attack on guard officers for their use of federal funds was made hv Senator BCrah in a speech oppos- ing the Reed amendment for federa' pay He declared the $S000O00 avail able annually for use of the guard had been 'shamefully' utilized by of ficers to the exclusion of enlisted men and that some of t had been "embezZ,ed."
 Lat pretty ScIlOuS CioI SCi said Senator Ponerene, democrat.
 Well I make it without any quail flcations" Senator Borah replied and he read from war department reports to show that most of the fund had been utilized by officers of the Ma tional Guard for themselves and that enlisted men had practically no fene fit of it.
 If senators here will examine the record of these appropriations" Sen ator Borah continued. they will hes itate about appropriating s50,000,000 tor the National Guard as it is now proposed to do
 In this bill you are not preparing for war. You are not giving the people what they are expecting to pay for We are filling up this bill up from beginning to end with purely political appropriations"
 Senators Pomerene and Reed staunchly defended the National fiuard
 There may be a thief in the Ma tiona, Guard. but so there have been in the regular army and senators from this body have been sent to jail" declared Senator Reed.
 Senator Lodge defended the regular army and declared it was time 10 stop casting aspersions upon it.
 The regular army has fought ana won all our battle and is fighting for us in Mexico today" he said, and l am sick and tired of hearing it at tackled
 Senator Cummins, republican said he was shocked at Senator Borah's statements.
 | q do not believe the charges that ! Nationa; Guard officers have misap- propriated the nations money-stolen it-for there is no moral difference he said. 'T think consideration of this bill should be halted while the serate ascertains whether officers of the guard are guilty of such charges.
 Senator Borah stood by his state ment in spite of rush of senators to ! defend the Guard of their own states
 q 1o not know that there are any officers of the National Guard whom | I would mistrust personally" he said T call the attention of senators to i the fact that l have not made gen eTal charge. I have said that the money appropriated under the Dick law has been shamelessly used.
 Let them disprove the figures and if they do am not too proud to apolo- gize."
 i The Reed amendment giving off cers of the National Guard above the rank of captain $500 year was l adopted by a vote of Il to IA. Sen i aor Chamberlain said it would add 1 about $1,OO0,0 q year to the officers ray as provided in the senate bill.'
 Senator Reed introduced an amend ment to provide schools to train young men as reserve officers for the army i and navy The secretaries of war and i navy would be authorized to divide the country into from to 12 districts l each containing a school for the in : struction of reservisLs from IA to 2C ] years old. Enlistment would be for ten years, the first four to be spent i in school and the rest in reserve. Senator Sutherland. republican al gued adoption of his amendment increasing the coast artillery corps al once to maximum strength
 Our coast defenses have cost $41,- 900 and are among the best ir ! the world" he said, But we now have enough men to man only one-fourtt of the guns"
 Or vote. Senator Sutherland's amendment was defeated.