New-York tribune., 1916-07-28
Bill Raises Total Appro-
priatiOnS for Defence to
$700,0OO,OOO.
SOLDIERS FAMILIES
GET $50 A MONTH
Right 10 Vote in Field Cut Out
Senate Doubles Provision
for West Point.
From The Tribune Bureau ]

Washington, July 81 Seven hundred
million dollars will be appropriated for
defence, including the sending of the
militia 10 the border. if the House
agrees TO the army and navy bills as
finally passed by the Senate. The army
bill adopted to-day carries $3l3.-
970.447.l0, and increse over the House
bill Of Sl3l, ,667,O9l.
This grand total for military expen-
ditures still is subject to revision. be
cause the army bill will follow the
naval bill into conference, where re-
ductions are probable, despite the firm
attitude Of President Wilson in support
ing the liberal response of the Senate
10 the call for adequate defence.
The appropriations for preparedness
as they now stand are as follows;
Army, s319,970, ,4471o; navy, $3l5,S26,-
S4S.55; fortifcations (law), SIS, 5,74s,05o;
Military Academy, s2,2Ss,92s.57; army
and navy deficiency, s27 27,55S,S4s.O5; to-
tai, ses5 5,S4a,O17.27.
Not All to Spend Now.
Il must be remembered, however, that
large part of these appropriations VIII
not be spent inside the current year
The money is authorized, but Will have
to be provided only when the construc-
tion of ships, manufacture Of munitions
and so on has proceeded much further
than is possible inside of year. No
one has yet figured out how much Of
the total is of this kind. Experts esti-
mate it as about one-third, or nearly
$24O, 100000.
Friends of the militia won the last
skirmsh on the army bill, inserting
section providing for the payment OF
$50 a month to dependent families of
members of the National Guard called
into Federal service. Hitherto the SEN
ate had stood firm against this pro-
vision, which the House included in the
original measure drafting the militia
into the Federal service As the House
is enthusiastic for the provision, there
seems to be little doubt that 1t will
remain in the bill in conference and be
enacted.
AS now drafted, however, the depend
ent family provision applies both TO
the National Guard and regular SOL
diers. setting new record in the
worlds history for the pay of private
soldiers-S65 q month in the case Of
those with dependent families.
Senator Chamberlain, chairman Of
the Military Affairs Committee, insisted
on including the regular soldiers, on
the ground that if applied to the
militia and not TO the regulars. it
would tend TO disrupt the regular army.
Regulars whose terms expired while
the troops were on the border, he said,
have every incentive to refuse to re-
enlist as regulars, 50 that they could
enlist in the militia and get $50 more
month.
Voting Provision Cut Out.
The amendment agreed to yesterday
giving soldiers on the border the right
TO vote in the field at the November
elections was eliminated from the bill
on q point of order just before passage.
As soon as the army bill was out of
the way the Senate took up and passed,
after a short debate. the Military Acad
cmy appropriation bill carrying $685.
32S.57, an increase Of sl,0l9,524 over
the House authorization.
How the principal items in the army
appropriation bill were passed in the
House and Senate is shown in the fol-
lowing table: