The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-04
Congress States That Hthe Lid
Is OF and That the Sky
Ia the Limits
IMMEDIATE PLAN TO
PUT 2,29S, 900 MEN In
CAMP BY JULY lST
Appropriations for Major Items
Are Practically Doubled
Since Secretary Bakers Re-
port of Needs on Front

Washington. May 3.-The navy as
well as the army. under the admins
tration's military expansion program,
may raise as large a force as Score
tary Daniels thinks necessary The
lid is OF SO far as congress is con-
cerned.
Following detailed developments to-
day OF Secretary Bakers tremendous
program. word reached the Capitol
that the navy department would ask
the same 'the sky is the limit legis-
lation as has bees framed for the
army
questioned on this point Chairman
Padgett. OF the naval committee,
pointed out clause in the naval re-
serve bill which allows Secretary DAN
ieis TO increase that force to any
limit. 1t further provides that men
and officers may be transferred at will
from the reserve TO the fighting force
Padgett said the sections intent was
to give the naval department power
10 take any action to increase it's
power as the developments OF the war
situation demand.
Another development of the day
was that Chairneu Dent probably will
be the sole opponent on the house
military committee to Secretary Ba-
ker's plan for an unlimited army. In
formal canvass showed that the bill
will receive an immediate and favor
able report Detailed figures of the
Baker program were placed today be-
fore the committee by Ma or- General
Peyton c. March and his aides.
Three Million Men.
The imm edtate plan is based on
three million men and 2.29S.00o of
these in camp by July /. AS quick as
II becomes certain that more than g.,
100000 can be equipped and trained
they will be called.
The following major items OF the
proposed $4,000. 600 appropriations
bill were presented to the committee:
Ordnance. $4,000, 600 900: quarter
master. $1,000, 100000: army pay, sS,~
900. 900. 900; aviation. $1,000. 100000;
medical. $1,000. o0oo 600; engineering,
$1,000. 100000.
These are practically double the ap-
propriations that had been submit
ted to the committee before Score
tary Bakers visit to the western front
In several cases amounts are five
times as large.
Again today Secretary Baker told
the committee that the operations
there are on so tremendous a scale
that they cannot be conceived.
Detailed testimony was practically
all on pay.
Major-General March said that with
the amount asked In the bill t$3,ooo,-
600. 00o) the department felt II could
pledge itself not TO ask for additional
sums before next December.
There was brief discussion on the
proposed aircraft appropriation. Sec
rotary Baker was asked point blank
II the program were failure and the
liberty motor a bad disa ppointment.
He answered vigorously that the pro-
gram has turned the corner, and that
the liberty motor, once over its
teething troubles" has become so sat
isfactory piece of mechanism that
French and Italians are ordering 1t In
large quantities.
WIN Build Barracks
Although training campS we're
SKINNED over hastily. II was brought
out that the estimates asked for bar
racks have been increased from $2S.-
900. 900 to sao,ooo,ooo since Bakers
return. Sewerage and drainage for
camps and cantonments has jumped
from $40 900, 900 to sso.000,0oo
Fart of these sums will he spent In
,
in charging. rebuilding and improv-
ing the camps in this country.
Indications that Americans are to
take over much larger sectors OF the
western line were given in the state
ment that of the 81 900, 0no,09o allow
ed the army engineers, almost all Is
TO be for additional highways and rail
roads from debarkation ports TO vari-
Gus American held portions of the
line.
Com uittee members congratulated
Secretary Baker ION his explanation
that the tremendous sum to be spent
for ordnance means that this country
Mt last is to manufacture a greater
part of it's own heavy artillery. Buy
ing will continue from the allies, but
all the produceEsa of this country will
be put 10 work also.
The committee went over briefly
the possibility of raising all the men
asked from class of the draft Gem
eral March said there were almost
. 600 600 men under arms now; that
there are. counting the usual proper
ltion of rejections, 100000 still TO
draw from. and probably 100000 soon
to be available from the men just be-
come twenty-one. With men who
have been exempted from the draft
because of occupation rather than de-
pendents. he thought nearly 100000
could be raised without changing the
present age limits.
Secretary Baker said at the depart
ment, after his meeting with the COM
mittee. that his figures did not include
plans for coast Notifications. Under
q rule of congress, they must be sub
mitted In a separate appropriations
measure. Estimates are not ready IN
this BILL