The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-02-13
HALT UNIVERSAL
TRAINING BILL
Decide That a 275,OOO Maxi
mum Peace Force, Costing
&75, 100000, Is Enough.
ECONOMY PLEA MEETS FAVOR.
Mondei1 Calls Minimum Expenditures
of $1,000, 100000 UnthinkabIe,
Would Wait Until Nation Is
Stronger Financially.

Observation-Disclosures house lead
"ers, determined to keep down expendi-
lures so as to make another loan I'M
necessary, have decided that there
shall be small sized army and that
universal military training shall be
eliminated from the military bill. They
say that the country, in the present
state of finance, is opposed to expend-
ing $700,000000 year for compulsory
training, or about $1,125000,000 to
maintain an army with compulsory
training in operation.
Representative f. w. Mondell, Re
publican floor leader, is leading the
opposition to compulsory training, and
indications are that even though the
committee should report military bill
containing provision for compulsory
training it would be defeated in the
house.
In a speech in the house Mr.. Mon
dell renewed his opposition to univer-
sal military training, and the applause
indicated that e had struck a popu-
lar note when he opposed the PROPOSE
ton at this time on the plea Of econ
omy.
"The secretary of war has recon-;
mended an army of $4,000 men, to cost
nearly $1,0O0O0O,OO0," said Mr.. Mon
dell. Nobody outside of the general
staff and the administration is consid-
.ering any such establishment. The
committee of the house and senate are
likely to provide for a regular estab-
liShment somewhere between 225,0O0
and 275,000 officers and men, line and
staff. At the present cost this would
involve appropriation; of from S425,-
100000 to $475,0O0,0O0. This force
could not be reduced ~ any system of
military training. The tendency would
be to increase it, as l have suggested.
A system of universal compulsory mil
itary training, such as has been pro-
posed, would cost at least $700,000,0 900
per year after the first year.
add to this the cost Of the regular
establishment at the lowest figure sug-
gested, $425, 100000, and we have a to-
tai of SLIPS, 100000 as the lowest an
nual cost of moderate, regular estab-
lishment and system of UNIVERSAL COM
pulsory military training such as Is
proposed without taking into consid-
Grafton the expenditure of at least
$300,000,000 to prepare the camps for
the system of training.
This estimate is, however, much be-
he q lieI
ment proposed by the bill now before
the senate and the universal, compul-
sorry military training system which it
provides. The regular military estab-
lishment provided for in that bill, with
out any military training whatever,
will cost at least 6OO,000,000 Add to
this $700,000,000 as the cost of the
universal compulsory military training
system which that bill provides and we
have a total cost of $1,000, 100000 as
the minimum cost of the military pro-
gram outlined in the senate bill.
"This total is much more than our
entire average annual federal expendi-
lures for all purposes prior to our en-
try into the European war. At a time
when, on the basis of present esti-
mates, we are facing a deficit of near
1y $3,O0O,000,000, such expenditures
are, of course, unthinkable AS no
one anticipates putting any kind of a
training system into operation at this
time, there is no reason why the mat
ter should be determined upon one
way or another until we shall find our
selves in better financial condition"