The Washington herald., 1918-05-04
SHOWS
HOW IMMENSE
sum WILL GO
Outlines to Congress Plans
for $4,000, 1000, 900 to
Enlarge Army.
NAVY INCREASE ALSO
Canvass of House Commit
tee Indicates Opposition
for Measure.
NAVY INCREASE ALSO

The navy as we'll as the army
under the A administrations military
expansion program, may raise as
large a force as Secretary Daniels
thinks necessary. The lid is OF"
SO far as Congress is concerned.
Following detailed developments
yesterday of Secretary Bakers tre-
mendous program, word reached
the capitol that the navy depart.
ment would ask the same the sky
is the limit" legislation as has been
framed for the army.
@ Few Follow Dent.
Questioned on this point. Chair.
man Padgett. of the naval commit.
tee, pointed out a clause in the
naval reserve bill which allows Sec
retary Daniels to increase tina,
force to any limit. 1t further pro-
vides 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 to take any action to in
crease its power as the develop
ments of the war situation demand
Another development of the day
was that Chairman Dent probably
will be the sole opponent. on the
House Military Committee. to Sec
retary Bakers plan for an unlimit.
ed army. Informal canvasses show.
ed that the bill will receive an i'm.
mediate and favorable report. De.
tailed figures of the Baker pro.
gram were placed before the com.
mittee yesterday by Maj. Gen. Pey.
ton c. March and his aides.
The Immediate plan is based OF
S.eOo.Oco men, and 2,ssS 600 a These II
camp by July l. AS quick as it be-
comes certain that more than 5000, 20
can be equipped and trained. thes
will be called.
The following major items CT the
proposed $l5.0OO,0OO,OOO appropriations
bill were presented to the committee
Ordnance. $4,000, 900. 900.
Quartermaster. 5000. 600. 900.
Army pay. 5000. 10000.
Aviation. 81 80. 600. 200.
Medical. $1,000 ,O00
Engineering, $1,000, ,Oo.OOG
These are all practically double the
items which had been submitted tc
the committee before Secretar!
Bakers visit to the western front. IN
several cases, items are five times al
large as those he asked before HI
saw actual fighting.
Reviews Trip.
Again he told the committee that
the operations there are on SC tire.
mendous a scale that they can not be
conceived.
Detailed testimony was practically
all on pay. Maj. Gen. March said
that with the amount asked in the
bilE$3 900. .O00, ,OO0-the department fel
it could pledge itself not to ask toI
additional sums before next Decem
Der.
There was brief discussion on thu
proposed aircraft appropriation Sec
retary Baker vas asked pointblanl
il the program were a failure and tn,
Liberty motor bad disappointment
He answered vigorously that the pro
gram has turned the corner, and tina
the Liberty motor. "once over ii!
teething troubles" has become so sat
isfactory a piece of mechanism that
French and Italians are ordering i
in large quantities.
Indications that Americans are t.
take over much larger sectors of the
western line were given in the state
ment that of the $1,000, ,OOo.00o allowed
the army engineers, almost all is tc
be for additional highways and rail
roads from debarkation ports to vari
Gus American-hefd portions of the
line.