The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-20
ARMY BILL TO BE PUT
THROUGH BY END OF WEEK
Do'h Houses to Plunge Into Bigger Army Fight; Issue
Is. How Large?-Final Decision Probably
for Joint Committee.

"AsHiN'ToN. March i9.-Procecdins
"''"s divergent lines. both the Senate
a"d House will give their attention to
inc problem Of preparedness during this
legislative week.
n House will resume consideration
OF the Hay bill section by section. and
"reste with the measure designed TO
provide adequate land forces for the
national defence. The Senate will be.
gun consideration Of the Chamberlain
NH Tor the same purpose. but differing
w many respects from the Hay bill,
which has the backing Of the President.
steadily the " houses are approach
ing mo dirtdinE point. The Hay bill pro.
Vlnes Tor a regular army In time II
peace of 10000 men. Thc Chamberlain
Dill provides for al army OF $4,000
men h Hay hill retains the long term
enlistment the Chamberlain bill pro.
'idcs for a shori one.
Joint Com mtttee to Decide,
In many other features the two meas.
ures diHer. II Is doutsful If they viii
diuer less after they have received the
nna' approval OF the respective houses.
IL is taken for granted that in the end
II viii he the conference committee
representing the two branches who will
nave most TO do with deciding what
measure Of preparation shall BE- under.
taken 10y the United States.
The absorbing question Of the moment
IN congress Is how large the regular
army shal he. The Hay bill. although
u obviously meets the approval of a
majority Of the House. will not, go on
',s way to final passage without meeting
obstacles. Representative Kahn of CALI
fornia Will bring vi, the question OF size
by MS amendment TO raise the limit OF
the measure from 10000 TO 100, 600
men. Amendments will be offered in the
Senate TO Increase the regular army
beyond the $4,000 provided by the
Chamberlain hill.
II ~ probable that the Kahn amend
ment will he defeated. Sentiment In
the House in favor of the militia or
volunteer system IL much, too strong to
permit a large increase in the standing
army. There are many degrees of pre-
paredness represented 10y opinions Of
Hous" ~. from the pacinst. or
peace At any price. idea and the anti.
militaristir notions of the Socialist mem.
her. Meyer London IT New York. to the
IDEAS OF Representative Gardner Of
Massachusetts. foremost Of preparedness
advocates. Hut There ~ no doubt that
the House Democrats do not like tn.
notion Of "a large standing army.
>~Was~ for SsrOnu Defence.
Indications are that the hope for a
NOR" adequate degree ~ preparation
than that which the Hay hill provides
lies with the Serate. There the demand
for national defence is stronger and the
>"licitud" for the militia less keen.
Much significance ~ attached To the
cry >'alization Of sentiment tn Dotn
houses la favor ~ a system " mili,ary
training which vii! give the country
"A citizen soldi"ry OF the sort the presi-
dent seemed to have in mind when ne
delivered iis message Ia Congress. The
P1aitsburg idea has been incorporated
Ia both the Senate and House bills. Sew
eral members Of the House, in discuss.
ing the Hay BIZ. have even gone further
by approving universal military train
lrg as AN IDEAL which cannot be at
t,ined at this time.
The sam" sentiment exists IN the Scn-
ate. Although universal training IL re-
gLrdcd a. in'pric',cable now by the
maJor!ty uf legislators. the .poss!hlllty
has been hel! out ~ III. debate. up To-
the present time that lay beginning with
I'll. >"h"ols and colleges a plan may be
w"rhed out which VIII eventually give