New Britain herald., 1916-03-17
ARMY BILL DEBATE
 OPENED IN HOUSE
No General Opposition to Large Regular Force Is Expected
TALK LIMITED TO TEN HOURS

Party Will Be Given Five Hours
 Country United on Preparedness Issue, Representative Hay Says. j. Washington, March 17.-Under a rule limiting general debate to ten hours, the house today began con- sIderinG the army bill, the most ex- Tensive proposal for increasing the military establishment ever laid be- fore it in peace times. If possible, a final vote will be reached tomorrow right.
 Forty speakers have asked for timc Republicans and democrats were equally represented on the list All .were expected to favor 0 wide degree Of national preparedness.
 When the debate began no opDon- ent of the general plan Of prepared ness had asked to be heard.
 No General Opposition.
 Chairman Hay, of the military com T3littee and Representative Kahn, ranking republican member, appor- toned ten hours equally. No general opposition was in evidence. So far as Is known no committee member will favor reduction of the pro- visions for the regular army or the national guard, although several are known to favor larger standing army.
 Speaker Clark, who will deliver an address in support of the measure, surrendered the chair to Representa- five Garret, of Tennessee, at the be- ginning of the debate.
 Representative Gordon, democrat of Ohio, led off for the bill. He had been listed as an anti-preparedness man but explained today that his opposition was only to a great stand ing army.
 Wants Party Lines Forgotten.
 Representative Hay told the house the fact that the committee had reached a unanimous report on the bill indicated the feeling of the country on the vital subject of pre- paredness. All Americans should stand together on the issue, he de- yclared, regardless of party lines. The l bill was far reaching, he continued, | and prepared in a sane and safe way, not going to extremes on either side.
 In fixing 140,000 men. as the strength of the army, he said, the committee had gone to what war de- partment officials had testified was the limit of peace time recruiting. A force of 250,00 regulars would mean compulsory service, to which the country was opposed, and an annual expenditure of $750, 0,O0O,0O0 for the army alone.
 "Of course,' MT. Hay said, "If it came to war congress would go to any extent" Applause greeted the statement.
 Representative Kahn interrupted tc point out that while the bill pro- vided for a peace strength of 140, ,00O fighting men, in the imminence of war the president could bring it up to more than 100000, exclusive of auxiliary troops.
 Opposes Two Year Term.
 "I do not believe," MT. Hay said, "that the two-year enlistment would be a good thing. Half the time the army would be composed largely of -half-b baked recruits. Those who ad- vocate the short term enlistment also desire that there be no re-eniistment Few men will enlist if they know there is no future, and the backbone of the army today is the non-com- missioned officer"
 The proposed increase in the army, he explained, could be accomplished through a four year enlistment as proposed by the bill
 MT Hay then turned to 8 general explanation of the plan to feder- alize the national guard. He contend ed congress had full constitutional power to do it.
 MP(;ur1her Rams Wilson
 While the house was debating the army bill today the final draft of the senate army bill was favorably ! reported by Chairman Chamberlain.
 Senator McCumber, republican, of North Dakota, made @ speech urging the country not to be swayed from a middle course between war hysteria and utter defenselessness. He con- tended the United States was in less danger of attack than ever before. . "Congress in it's growing servility.' he said, has allowed it's function to be usurped by the executive until 1t has become the tool to convert pres idential programs into law. Congress should be the judge of the necessity and Of the propriety of changing our historical attitude"