South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-18
Sub Committee on Senate Mil
itary Affairs Begins Its
Hearings on Chamber
lain Army Bill.
REVISED BILL WILL BE
PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY
Preparedness Leaders Have
Piles of Data to Prove Ma
tiOnaI Guard is Not
Satisfactory.
International News Service


wAsHINGTON. Dec. 10. - The
FIRST serious effort in congress to es-
tablish compulsory national mill
tary service in the United States
since the Civil war. was begun to
day when the subcommittee of the
senate military affairs committee
began hearings on the Chamberlain
bin. designed 10 create an army
along the lines of the Swiss system.
Anti militarists and preparedness
advocates i'm large number were
present 10 lay before the sub-com-
mittee-consistin Of Sens. Cham
-erlain Thomas and Brady-their
objections. criticisms OF approval of
the proposed legislation The sub
committee hoped, however. TO con-
Guide the hearings about Feb. l, and
To present 10 the senate the revised
draft CT the bin designed complete
lv 90 revolutiouize the system Of ma
tioDal defense Preparedness lead
crs were ready today with piles Of
data TO prove that the recent Mevi-
ga. crisis had demonstrated the in
,ompetenCe OF the national guard
and TO urge the subcommittee to
recommend passage of the senator S
hiu repeating the entire section OF
the Hay act federalizing the state
troops.
Fisher j. First Witness
Former Sec'y of the Interior Wal
ter H. Fisher Of Chicago, the first
witness. attacked the Cham berlain
hiu ON the ground that il would i'm
pose an unnecessary burden on the
country and would fail TO furnish
the civic training its sponsors claim
cd for IT,
The Swiss system is not adapted
To the needs of the United states
Nr. Fisher declared
THE whole agitation for con-
scription has had "a bad effect" he
continued cit has dissuaded our
experts from trying 20 formulate a
scheme for actual military prepare
ton which might have received pop
ular support"
The German system OF military
training was held up as a detriment
10 the Industrial and social progress
eft "a nation
"Progress i'm the social and indus
trial life of Germany has been made
I'm spite OF that natioPs system of
enforced military training and ser
vice. and is i'm NO sense "a result of
such compulsory service" Mr..
Fisher said.
Merry Fight - Likely.
a fight 20 curtail continued pre-
paredness expenditure To save the
federal government from financial
Embarrassment began breaking out
today. conducted 10y powerful
.roup of democrats I'M congress.
headed 10y Majority Leader Ktchin
Of the house Rep. KitChin de-
dared today IN no uncertain terms
that the condition confronting the
treasury was far from satisfactory.
and said that he proposed TO lay the
entire matter before congress in a
speech Within few weeks he will
visit the white house and Will take
mp with Pres't Wilson the fancial
affairs OF the government which the
majority leader declares threaten 20
become seriously involved.
The estimates sent 20 congress hy
the secretary Of the treasury pro-
posing the expenditures for the next
fiscal year considered in connection
with the secretary'S calculations as
90 the government revenues. indicate
g. condition which i'm a private con-
Germ would be called dangerous 20
Rep. KitChin said today
The expenditure for the fiscal
year beginning next July the secre-
tary estimated. will exceed the or
binary income by $500 100000 He
expects 90 have a general balance of
$4,000. c00 az the beginnins Of the
Scar There is about $1c5. GOO. 600 OF
this Years expenditure for which
the secretary may properly issue
bonds already authorized II he
does so there would he an actual
oencit OF more than $4,000 .000 at
the end OF the year even If NE strip
ped the treasury OF every dollar II
kts general balance"