New-York tribune., 1920-01-29
Wadsworth
Scouts Billion
Army Cost Talk
Declares Expense Under
New Plan. Including Uni
sersal Training. VIII BE
Less Than 500. 600 .OCO
Official Figures Are Cited
Reporting Reorganization
Bill. New York Senator
Answers Mondell Attack
Nc'e York Tribune
Washington Bureau

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON. Jan. 2o.-After re-
porting the army reorganization bill
10 the Senate to-day Senator Wads-
worth. of New York, chairman Of the
Military Committee, issued a statement
denying that its provision for uni
versal military training would make
the total cost Of the army 10 the nation
- 600 900 900 a year
he Senator declared estimates OF
The War Department showed that for
the newt SIN years the cost of the re
organ zed army, with universal military
training included, would at no time be
more than S7o0.0C0.000 year. His
statement was in answer TO a speech
in the House yesterday by Republican
Leader Mondell, WHO announced him
self as opposed to universal military
tralning on the ground OF economy and
sald its inclusion in the army re-
organization bill. would put the total
cost of the army up to q billion
dollars.
Senator Wadsworths Statement
In his statement Senator Wadsworth
said: 49, " - VI
Some statements have been made to
the public quite recently announcing
that the adoption of the military
po.'cy set forth it Ike Senate bill and
ncludlng .he provision for universal
4nllltary training would involve an
annual expenditure of one billion
dollars The public should be in pos
session of the most accurate estimates
mat can be made. The War Depart
lnents at the request OF the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs. has for
some time been working on these est;-
mates they are set forth in the report
~ the committee presented to the
Senate to-day.
San examination Of them will dis
close that under no circumstances will
me bill Involve an expenditure of 81
oo0 ooo 600 annually. or anvth;nc ike
tha5 sum. Inc department has furnished
rs feures which should be rcga rded as
The maximum amounts, made up upon
The theory that the regular army and
ne National Guard. as well as the or
sanized reserve. always wi | be at the
naNlmAl authorized strength. and.
'urtreI leaving out Of ace >unt some of
nc surplus stocks of equipment which
ere on hand today in enormous ouaHti-
les and which viii he available for
MANY years t. come. The War Depart
ncrt estimates may therefore be re-
gasded as the outside figure. compiled
t. cover every contingency. and, fur
\ crmere. are based upon the present
hig7 price level. They show that fol-
cVu-g passage of +he bill the annual
Nrcr1'turc Ter the next succeeding six
'ears Vlll run as follows: 1921, S645,-
- rtu; l9:Z s.7o $50 600; 1928, s6SG,-
~ coo, 1924. $69s. $50 900; 1925, $780,
~5' o0H; 1876. S692.733, 900
Dera rnent Estimates Revised
In addition 30 the existence of large
aurpius stocks Of equipment now on
ha.d. It should be remembered that
While tue blil provides for a maximum
strength of the National Guard Of the
'r tied States Of ;25 600. the guard can
uc, 2ch that strength on account Of
the absence o. training faci tiles. such
as a-1norleS. etc. in the several states
or many years to come. Our best in
,o}'naton leeds us to believe that the
guard viii be doing pretty we'll if il
feacncS strength OF $4,000 men six
ysars from now. Indeed we believe
AIS : d liberal estimate.
taking into account these features.
inc committec has revised the esti- /
mates OF the War Department and be-
ileves that the annual cost Of the pro- |
posed military establishment will run
as follows;
For 1921, 5000, 1903 coo: for 1925.
S623, ,545 ,o00 for 1898. $6313SO O0O for
192:. Se32 573 ,000 for 1925, S6l1.7a1.-
coo: for 1926. $59O.9S7 OOO
I'm the year 1921 the average cost
of trained soldier. produced under
this system. VIII be approximately
Soc9, and IN 1926, after the system has
been in full operation. the average cost
of a soldier will be $40"