The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-21
DEFEATS 10000
ARMY PLAN BY 1888 TO 1903
REJECTS Kahn Amendment and Removes Chief Obstacle
to Hay Bill for Force of lao, OOO-Mann Leads
in Two Hour Debate.

WASHINGTON, March c0.--By defeat
ing the Kahn amendment raising the
'i"it nj the regular army proposed In
the Hay bill from 10000 to 10000 the
House to-day indicated villa, II regards
as an adequate measure Of prepared
ness in the way Of na,ions, defence.
The amendment vas rejected By a
! of 1s3 to 103. a majority Of so
In favor Of the smaller army. No roll
call WAS taken. but twelve Democrats
hled between the tellers in support of the
amendment. More than thirty Repub,i-
cans. mainly from the middle West, were
counted in opposition.
Among the Democrats who voted for
the larger army wcrc Representatives
Coiley. Farley. Hullp,t and Caldwell.
New York Olney and Phelan. Massa-
chusctts: Liebel. Pennsylvania Coady
Maryland Burke. Wisconsin: Boriand.
Missouri Hart. New Jersey. and Nc
Andrew. Illinois.
The Republicans who voted with tho
majority against the proposed change
In the Hay bill came from iowa, Kan
sss. Minnesota. Ohio and other States
OF the West and the Mississippi River
egion The vote indicated that the
problem of army Increase is a regional
rather than "A partisan political ques-
ton.
While the House was busy with the
ariny bill a decision was reached in the
Senate not to consider the subject Of
army reorganization until the louise has
concluded consideration of the Hay bill.
fTl,t. $500. L. ..- 81 .--. .-..
much as II liz the purpose of tn. Admins
tration to insist upon features of the
chamberlain bill pending In the Senate
IA a part OF the completed army legisla-
ton.
At a meeting OF the New York Repub-
leans in the House this morning an
agreement was reached to support the
Kahn amcndm.n nj and all proposals tina,
reprcsen, an advance In armament over
those reported by Chairman Hay.
Minor Changes Accepted.
With the rejection OF the Kahn
amendment the Hay bill passed the mos;
critical points OF its cotrse through the
House. Several minor amendments Were
adopted. one increasing the personnel OF
the ordnance division and another re.
organizing the Medical Reserve Corps
but these were either offered or accepted
nv the chairman OF the committee. MIR
Hay.
The debate on the Kahn a,nendmen,
was even more spirited than the gen.
eral debate on the Hay bill itself. Rep.
resentatYc Mann attacked the measure
as providing an inadequate regular
army and AS being insufficient respons
to the Presidents request for a ma.
%tionsl defence force In emergency.
MIR. HAY replied that an army Of :20.-
600 would be no more adequate to meet
AN emergency han An army OF lao. 900
He also said that above the roar OF
the cannon and the pail Of smoke that
hangs over the battlefield Of verdur
there is appearing a ray of hope for
an early peace. and that The United
States would and itself saddled with III
army 1t could not use II the Kahn
amendment were adopted.
The chairman of the Military Commit
tee also attacked specifically the Ma.
tional Security League and its president,
:. StandWood Menken NJ New York. as
ser,ing that Il WAS working for a selfish
purpose.
Two Houra Lively Debate.
la the two hours o. debate that pre-
coded the vote speakers on the Republ.'
can side found themselves at odds, Rep
rescniatives Garuner. Massachusetts, an,
Madden. Illinois. assailed the Hay bill
Representatives Anthony. Kansas Nc
kenzie. Illinois Mondell. Wyoming. ant
others quite as vehemcntly defended II
The same was true TO a lesser degree o.
the Democratic side.
MIR. Mann. chief spokesman for HI
Kahn amendment, said:
Il have been Of the pacifists, be
iieve. az they are properly called. Neve'
have I addressed the House before und.i
u create responsibility to my countr!
than I feel now. What is the situation
4 year ago last December. after thu
European war had been In progress TO
some months. the President INFORMED
the Congress that IN his opinion "a
that time there was no practical nee
OF AZ, increase in the regular army.
LAS, fall he announced publicly tina
he thought there should he an increase
lie invited the leaders ~ the opposition
in the House and senate 10 a conference
expressing the hope that the question
OF the piepa reiness Of this countr.