Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-13
Senate and House Con.
ferees Compromise on
Defense Measure.
APPROVAL OF BOTH :"
HOUSES EXPECTED
Senate Bill System Of Organization 10
Retained As Substitute For House
Provision, Which Would Mako Maxi.
mum Strength Of Army 10000 Men
Army Capable Of Expansion to
254,ooo Men in Times Of Need.


Washington, May 13. - A regular
army Of 100000 men at peace strength
capable of expansion to $4,000 men
in time Of war, was agreed upon to-
day by the house and senate conferees
on the army reorganization bill, first
of the big national defense measures.
The report will be submitted to poeh
branches OF congress for ratlncaaoh
next week. -.
q In the agreement ION the regular
army, the senate bin system OF organl-
zation was retained as substitutes
for the house system, which would re-
cruit maximum army OF l40,ooo meh'
The regular lines OF the army, the
bill now provides, can never go oeio"
10000 and it's maximum strength IN
time of peace would be $4,000 orlcefs
and men. In this calculation, now
ever, there are excluded 5,723 Phlllp-
pine scouts, 6,409 in the quartermas-
ter corps, 1890 in the medical depart
ment, s,SS7 in the. signal corps ana
$3.50 unassigned recruits, total Oh
1850. These added to the regular
line Of $4,000 men, give total reg
ularg army peace strength OF 20S'oos'
The president is authorized to increase
the regular army to maXimum strength
without congressional action.
z Makeup Of Now Army.
Under the conference agreement the
army would consist of sixty-five resl-
ments Of Infantry, twenty-five OF
cavalry, twenty -one of field artillery,
a coast artillery, Of 10000 officers ana
men, a signal corps of 1887 men, m IN.
Guiding the aviation section and seven
regiments Of engineers. In the aYi-
atom section the number of officers Is
Increased from q totak.ofs SO TO Lag IN n
cluding one colonel, one lieutenant
eight majors. twenty-four captains :
and ia first lieutenants. ,,.y5 5.
The reorganization plan contem-
plates attaining the whole@ peace
strength within. Ave years, as proposed
In the original plans, ~
General Officers of the line would De
increased by four major generals ano
eighteen br1gadier generals. The gen
eral staff 3sof the army would be IN
creased from thirty -four officers 20
fifty-two. The provision of the senate
bin, which would have placed five OF
ficers Of the national guard in the geR-
eral staff, was stricken out. but provi-
yions made for officers of the national
guard to be assigned to volunteer citi-
zens' camps at government expenses.
An effort to give volunteer citizens IN
camp pay of enlisted men while IN
training camp, failed.
F. Vocational Training Provided.
80 r. t@y1n -
for men in the regular army. regulated
by the secretary of war was left IN the
bill and the house proposal for gov
ernn1snt operation of nitrate manu-
featuring plants to cost not more than
20,0OO,eO0 was almost left In. Selec-
ton Of sites is left to the president.
The products Of the plants when not
needed in war times, may be sold toT
fertilizer under executive regulations.
. Authority for the government to
seize and operate plants for manufac-
turing Of munitions in time of need is
given and the president is empowered
to appoint q board of Ave men, two
citizens and three army officers, to in
yestigate the advisability Of establish
ment Of government plants for their
manufacture. The board would report
before Jan. 1, 1917.
v The. president is authorized to ap-
point a board to investigate the mob
1lization of industries in time Of Wai'
Seven Year EnIistmsnts. r..
The regular army enlistment is nxs'1
at seven years, three with the colors
and four in reserve, but II enlisted
men master military training In one
wear and wish to retire to the reserve
this may be permitted, on proving ef-
ficiency and upon recommendation OF
superior officers to do so. ~. 49, :.
Final agreement was reached OF thu
long disputed measure after a shore
session Of conference committees. An"
other meeting will be held Monday to
sign the report. w
s..I think we have an excellent BILL
said Chairman Chamberlain OF the
senate military affairs committee. -
Chairman Hay, OF the house, also
praised the report and approval by
both houses Is expected. f
sa 4 Fedsral National Guard.
The volunteer reserve army of 06l.- !
900 men provided in the senate bill goes
out, leaving the reserve army tp the ma
tional guard, which will be federalized
according to the provisions OF the
house bill. All officers and men OF the
guard must take the oath Of allegiance
to the United States as we'll as 20 the
respective states.
The national guard at its maximum
strength would be recruited on the
basis OF 500 men 70 each congressional
district and would aggregate b total 'oi
AIS 900 men. This reserve force. to-
gether with the regular army of 254.
900 men, war strength, would produce
d combined defence force OF 67a, ,00e
men. 81,
Sheldon Banks Consoiidate.
Special to Times Republican.