The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-22
Dan Anthony Slated for House
Senate Conference.
To Take Hand in Drafting
Final Preparedness Bill.
'TWIXT DEVIL AND DEEP SEA
LeavenwOrth Would Like to
See All e. S. Soldiers.
Anthony Stands by Convictions
and Advises Moderation.

Congressman D. r. Anthony, of
Leavenworth. probably will be mem
Der of the conference committee OF
house and senate which will draft the
final preparedness bill Such are ad-
vices received from Washington this
week Appointment of the First dis
trict congressman to this most i'm
portant committee comes as result
of his close and lifelong relationship
with army officers. made doubly init
mate by his long service on the house
military committee.
Anthony in taking an active part in
debate on the floor and preparation of
amendments for the army prepared
ness bill has refused to shun respon-
sibilities, even though he found him
self between the devil and the deep
blue sea, so to speak Anthony's home
town looks to Fort Leavenworth for
good share of her revenue and to
hear a majority of Leavenworth mer-
chants talk. the entire population of
the United States should be garrison
ed at Fort Leavenworth.
Censure Was Certain.
/ Advocating anything but the drastic
preparedness measures meant censure
/ for Anthony at home. However, he
/ has stood by his guns and instead of
insisting upon the most drastic pre-
| paredneSs bill has disagreed with mill
! tary experts, many of them social
| friends at home and in Washington.
| They insisted that it would require a
regular army of half a million men
to defend this country in case of for
eign attack subsequent to a loss OF
our control on the sea.
The Kansas member took issue with
| these men and declared that under the
provisions of the house bill it would
be possible to raise and equip an army
Of a million men in three months tC
defend the country in addition &c
10000 regulars and 1000 nationa
guardsmen. In an article in his owr
paper. the Leavenworth Times, Mr.
Anthony says:
Million Rifles Ready.
I'VE have one million modern rifles
already manufactured and in reserve
for such a purpose, and while some o.
the experts declared that it took two
or three years to make soldier,
believe the average American either
could be trained into a fairly efficien
soldier in from three to six month!
and that it would take a foreign fot
a good many months to dispose of ou1
navy before they would dare send mil
itary expeditions to our shores"
Anthony further contends that il
mis- judgment our coast artillery i
stationed in such widely scatteret
garrisons around our coast that ever
in time of war, three-fourths of then
probably would never be called upOl
to fire a shot and that any NOR
money expended upon further increas
on coast artillery would be wanto1
! waste of public funds. This state
! ment was made by Mr.. Anthony in op
posing an amendment of Representa-
tive Gardner to increase the coast ar
= tillery of ten thousand men. TIL
Gardner amendment was defeated
} However, Anthony does not stan
for the Quaker soft soap of GOV
ernor Capper and from the first ha
= maintained that an adequate increas
r in the size of the army and an in
: crease in the efficiency and size of tn
National Guard are absolutely neces
> sary And the house bill stands ju:
about as Anthony outlined long be
I fore it was taken up for considers
I ton.