The Washington times., 1916-01-10
"SmaII Army and Navy Men
Only Faction With Plans
Made for Fight.
WILL HIT THROUGH REVENUE
Anti-Mi|itaristic Party Can
Count on G. O. P. Votes
Against Taxes.

Congress enters this week upon the
second month of the session and finds
itself utterly without a definite idea or
what it is going to do about national
defense and revenue legislation.
Only one faction on Capitol Hill ap-
pears to have IT'S program In shape
that is the small navy" and small
army" Democrats. who are now about
to make q flank movement on the de-
fense bills and attempt TO defeat them
in roundabo way even If they can
not he beaten by direct attack.
This faction, it is learned, has been
holding quite number OF confabs
during the last few days. The small
army and navy men are quietly working
out the strategy of the situation about
as follows:
Expect Bills TO Pass.
I'VE will have n hard time voting
down these army and navy bills because
the Republicans will vote almost solidly
| for them. So they'll probably pass, ex-
cept for that continental army plan
of secretary Garrison.
However, the Republicans will 2ot
support Democratic tax measure. and
you've got to have more taxes if you
have national defense. If twenty or
thirty of the small navy Democrats
vote against the revenue bills it will put
these defense measures in a bad way"
The anti-preparedness Democrats can
count on Republican votes against more
. taxes. He Republicans could not we'll
afford to vote otherwise. They Will
justify such opposition on the ground
that If a protective tariff were in eject
. 1t %ould be unnecessary to impose direct
taxation burdens.
The astute small navy Democrats in
/ the House have accordingly to defeat
indirectly the defense movement by
: voting against the accompanying reYe-
nue. bills. If score of Democrats JON
with the Republicans in opposing The
tax measures. the majority party will
be in the position of voting large appro-
| pria tions for the army and navy t. lie
paid out of an empty treasury. The
. possible situation is one that is giving
. great worry to Administration sup
j porters
Much OJckeying For Place.
Meanwhile there is legislative jockey
ing for place. When members of the
Ways and Means Committee are asked
. when the question of revenue will be
taken up they reply that the commit
tee is waiting to &c what amount CT
money will be needed by the Approprla-
tions committees, including those :.an-
ding the army and navy bills.
The committee in charge of thes.
measures are making practically no
that the defense program lis somewhat
contingent upon the question OF reve-
mics. Valuable time is beinS wasted
and Chairman Padgett. OF the House
Naval Committee, rather disugstediy
asserts that lit will be several months
before we close the hearings on our bill,
according to present PROSPECTS"
Mr.. Padgetts pessimism evidently is
predicated upon the tilibustering tactics
adopted by the small navy members of
his committee who retarded the hear
ings last week by asking numerous uues-
tlons of trivial nature when Admiral
Stanford was before the Naval Com
mittec.
The situation is further complicated
by the increasing activities of the So
called pork barrel'' committees of the
House. The Roads Committee has re-
ported good roads bill calling for an
appropriation of s25, 100000. and the
Committees on Public Buildings and
Grounds and Rivers and Harbors are
threatening to bring in pork barrels
aggregating anywhere from $50, 900. 900 to
SIS, ,O0O, 900.
|, General Row Coming.
A general row among the defense ad-
vocates, the pork barrel defenders,
and the ''small navy and army faction
is forthcoming, and Republican aid may
be expected when the latter group of
Democrats seek TO embarrass defense
Legislation by voting against the reve-
nue. bills.
Little headway is being made with the
defense program itself. Secretary Gar
rison's appearance before the House
Committee on Military Affairs has not
removed the proposed army bill from
the zone of Congressional chaos. No
member Of the House or the Military
Affairs Committee appears to nave a
definite idea of what the army bill will
contain, except there is continued an
tagoniSm to the continental army plan
of Secretary Garrison.
Even the statement of Secretary Car
risen that compulsory military trainm z
may follow in this country ii the
continental army plan fails has not
strireG the House membership. One of
the Democratic leaders of the House
says Mr.. GaTrisons leaning towul d
unproductiVc of results tecause Il e
United States wi!lS never accept the
principle OF such training.
No Militarism Approved.
Nothing that smacks Of militarism.'
said this leader, can receive the ap-
.ruval of the Congress ur the people Of
the United states. No system of mill
tary training could be put through Con
gress with public sentiment on this
question as il now is.
This Congressional authority is orc
of the most inildcntla, members OF the
Military Affairs Committee and reflects
the present sentiment not only in that
committee but the House.
There is small lik"Ihuot OF til" ep-
proNal of thu continental army plan HIiI
the substitute program adopted prob