The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-02
REGULAR ARMY
 OF l8O,OOO IS
 PROBABLE PLAN
House COnfereeS Will Accept Senate's ReorganiZa-
 ton Program.
EXPECT 22O.OOO MEN
 READY TO TAKE UP ARMS
Navy Committee Agrees on S2,OOO,OOO Aircraft
 Appropriation.

Washington, May, 2.-The conferees on the Army Bill have agreed on a tentative compromise of 175,00O or 18O 900 men for the regular army The House members of the Conference Committee will accept the Senate pro- vision for complete rgan1zat1on. or the army if the Senate members, will not press the Brandegee amendment for an army of 250,00 men,
 The Chamberlain plan for a thor ough reorganization with 75 per cent. of war strength will be adopted. This will mean nine divisions, ready for war at a moments notice-a total strength of from 216,000 to 22O, 900. No action has been taken on the volunteer army, plan, but the House Democratic forferees declared their purpose yesterday to stick out against that provision in the Senate bill. Sen ator Chamberlain said the prospect for volunteer plan is remote, but he hopes to succeed.
 The House conferees consider they have made a good bargain in giving up the House plan of a skeleton or ganization for the Senate's complete duction of a proposed regular army of 25O,00o men to one of 900 18O, 900. The House bill provides for an army of <140 900.
 inc compromise accepted by the conferees is practically the original Senate Committee Bill. It provides for an increase in the regular army by the addition of these units: 34 1-3 infantry regiments, 10 cavalry regi- ments, 5 field artillery regiments, regiments of engineers, 93 companies of coast artillery, 2 battaIions of mounted engineers and aero squad rons
 This would carry with it the neces- sary increases of other auxiliary troops and staff departments.
 The new organizations under the compromise plan, would increase the regular army in time of peace about 75, 900 enlisted men. In great emer- gency the size of the regular army could be raised to 235. 900 men. 7 The proposed force will include about 174,789 enlisted men of 'f1ine of the army and Philippine scouts plus 6,4O9 enlisted men of the quarter master corps, plus@7, ,29O enlisted men of the hospital corps plus 6,O98 fun- assigned recruits, an actual total of 194s586, or an actual increase in the authorized strength of T4,789 enlisted men of the .'line and Philippine scouts" 409 quartermasterf corps men, 3,27S hospital corps men, and 2,09S unassi gned recruits.
 The total commissioned strength at present is 5,o45 The proposed bill in
 
 number are 124 veterinarians not here tofore counted as officers, S22. officers for detached service with the National Guard and at educational institutions, and a largely increased number of off, cers for aviation service The propor- 4ionate increase in reality is not as large as the increase in enlisted men because of the increase in the size of the company units.
 The proposed regular army will con- sist of seven infantry divisions and two cavalry divisions, in addition to the Porto Alec regiment of infantry, the Philippine Scouts and one regi- ment for Alaska, aid the various small detachments for special purposes throughout the army.
 The eonferees continued their work today. They lack much of being thor ough. The hard fight is to come over the volunteer plan. Senator Chamber lain prefers that to the National Guard plan, but Representative Hay is much opposed to volunteer army.
 A $2,000,0O0 appropriation for aeronautics was agreed to by the House Naval Affairs Committee to- day. The full committee held It's nfst session and the draft of the Naval Appropriation Bill framed by the subcommittee on appropriations was submitted.
 The committee also agreed to an appropriation of $7o0,0O0 toward $1, 100000 projectile factory. Chair man Padgett said the bill probably would be completed and reported to the House by early next week.
 Chairman Padgett expects to com plete the bill by the end of this week, with report to the House next week The building programme for increase of the navy will not be taken up until late in the week
 Two batteries of field artillery from Fort Myer on their way to the in- struction camp at Tobyhanna, Pa., were reviewed from the Capitol steps to-day by the Senate and House con- ferees on the Army bill.
 xrTxxr:4Ir