The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-03-18
HOUSE DEBATES
ARMY INCREASE
Lower Chamber Considers
Hay Bill, Adding 10000
Men to Regular Army.
GARDNER HITS MEASURE
Preparedness Advocate Points Out Bill
Is Not Sufficiently Radical.
Opposes LIBERALIZATION.

Spurred on by the fact that American
troops are now actually engaged In an
expedition on foreign soil, the House yes
terday finally got down to business on
the first Of the big preparedness meas
ures.
It took up the Hay bill, authorizing an
increase OF 1000 men in the regular
army increasing the organized militia
to about half a million men, and author
iZinE the mobilization Of the industrial
forces Of the country in time Of war
With the exception of a violent attack
on the bill by Representatives Gardner, OF
Massachusetts, who thinks it does not
go far enough. and by Representative
London, of New York, Socialist, who is
opposed to any increase in the army, y
terday's debate was tame.
General debate on the bill will con-
clude today. To the Speaker of the House
will go the honor of closing the debate.
His speech will be an unqualified indorse-
Elent Of the measure.
Representative Gardner attacked the
figures given in the report Of Chairman
Hay. OF the Military Affairs Committee,
as to the number of trained men avail
able to fight now. He produced a letter
from Newton D. Baker. the new Sec
rotary OF War. to substantiate his state
menL The letter was written in re-
Spouse to a request from Mr.. Gardner
fore the passage Of the Hay bill.
Using the same method of calCulat-
ing as Mr.. Hay adopted" the letter
stated, we would now have available
without any legislation whatever, ap-
prOximatsly the following number Of
men: Regular army, including Philip
pine scouts, 10000: reserve of the regu-
lar army. 5000; National Guard. $4,000
men; trained and in the country, 995, 900;
a total Of eSA 900
Fallacy is Revealed.
In other words, the only immediate eff
feet OF the passage of the House army
bill would be to increase the regular
army by 5000 men, and even that in
crease being added in four annual mere
ments would require about four years
time to be recruited and still a longer
time to become effective.
The fallacy of this method OF calcula-
ton is shown by the following statement
OF actual conditions:
Then followed a statement showing
that the reserve OF the regular army to-
day actually amounts to only 2.SI5 men,
and the increase in the reserve would
eventually reach about 1900 but that it
would not begin to become effective until
three years after the Hay bill passed.
Mr. Baker calculated that about 5000
former regulars are now in the country
ana NJ IOr service instead OF LtVr-OV' as
estimated by Mr.. Hays method, and that
all former national guardsmen ant- grad
yates Of military colleges and schools, on
account Of the changes In methods arni-
sments, and training in the military es-
adjustment would be practically useless
unless they received three months inten-
sive training.
Secretary Baker made clear his atti-
tude toward the National Guard by stat
ing in his letter to Mr.. Gardner that
none Of the men discharged from the
National Guard were really trained. and
twO-thirds of them were discharged be-
fore expiration of term of enlistment
when they had received training ranging
from that impaired in one day to that
possible in a nearly completed enlistment
period"