Evening star., 1916-04-04
Senator Chamberlain to Seek
Reconsideration of Army
Bill Item.
COMMITTEE PREPARES
TO BLOCK SUCH ACTION
Its Influence Will Be Used to Keep
Out Any Volunteer Service
Provisions.

Senator Chamberlain. chairman.
and other members of the mill
tary affairs committee, disap-
pointed over the passage yester-
day of Senator Cummins' amend
ment to the army reorganization
bill which would create National
Guard section in the general
staff, will seek reconsideration
of the vote when the bill reaches
its final stages in the Senate. To-
morrow the committee will meet
to consider the matter, and a COM
promise with the National Guard
advocates will be proposed.
The committee prepared today to use
every influence to kill pending amend
ments to eliminate the volunteer army
provisions from the bill. Hearings also
were given to Senators Underwood of
Alabama and Smith of South Carolina on
tnelT dIHeHuIueHlS u pTUslue SoNeIH-
ment nitrate manufacturing plants.
Senator Borah Opens Discussion.
Senator Borah opened discussion of the
bill when the Senate met. attacking the
National Guard plan as not jus:ifying the
expense it would involve The one thing
thoroughly proved by the military history
of the world. he said, was. that civilians
who were trained internationally while re-
tanning a place in their home and indus
trial life could not compete with soldiers
regularly drilled in the arts of battle
"The adding of 2s0.000 civilians to the
federal payroll. at a cost of $4,000, 900
a year. might build up a hazardous
political organization, Senator Borah
insisted
I'VE must take into consideration the
fact that there will be problems of do
mestic concern to be met in this coun-
try after the war in Europe is over.
If this bill becomes law for the first
time in the history of this government
or any free institution l know of you
will put on the national payroll near
ly 100000 men, and leave them also in
the business and the politics of their
give them authority of military or
ganization and to utilize the power of
military organization within the state.
1T is a dangerous thing to bestow
on men this kind of power when they
come from communities where they i'm
bibe the prejudice and bias of the COM
munity.'
Oppose Volunteer Army.
The section of the bill providing for
a volunteer army separate and distinct
regular army was under fire yesterday
afternoon. Senators MARITIME. Lee Of
Maryland and Smith and Hardwick Of
Georgia spoke in opposition to the vol
unteer army proposed.
Senator Smith urged his amendment
for short enlistments in the regular
month devoted to educational instruc-
ton. Senator Hardwick wanted to
substitute his amendment to provide
for military instruction in schools and
colleges, which he said would insure
reserve of 100000 young men with
military training.
Branches of West Point.
Senator Williams urged that the
amendments offered bv the two Sena-
tors from Georgia need not conflict
with the volunteer army plan. which
he advocated. He suggested that each
state university should be turned into
a branch of the West Point Academy.
Senator Weeks spoke in favor of the
federal volunteer system and praised
the bill as the best piece of military
legislation ever put before the Senate.
Senator Brandegee of Connecticut also
made an urgent plea for the volunteer
army. At the close of the day Senator
Chamberlain again warned the Senate
that he would ask for night sessions
unless more rapid progress is made in
the near future.
Bill Endorsed by Senator Lodge.
Senator Lodge warmly indorsed the
bill, criticising it only In that it failed
to go far enough. Pacificists who op-
pose extending the nations defenses at
present were identical in principle. he
said. to citizens who object to sufficient
police forces in municipalities.
'At this moment this country is prac-
tically undefended. Our defenses are
just enough to insure d sacrifice of
many brave and noble lives if we were
attacked by any f1rst-class power.
''If we had a competent navy, the land
defense would be less important. But we
have no such navy. and it is silly to dwell
in FOOLS paradise and tell ourselves that
we have. 1t is now contended that we
need a force sufficient to hold back the
first rush of any important enemy while
our second line of defense is given time to
The lowest possible number of
men to insure such delay is 100000, and
the one object 1 think should be pursued
now should be to have that force or a
greater one.
House Bill worthless.
THE House bill, | think, is worthless.
The Senate bill is most excellent, so far
as it goes, but it does not give men
enough