New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-06
Army Training
Expense Denied
By Wadsworth
Universal Military Program
Would Cost No More
Than That Now Proposed
for Regulars, He Says
20 Cut Standing Force
Gradual Reduction for
Five Years Economical;
Western Group Surprised
By Carter Field

'0D The Trtbune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, April 5-Universa,
military training will not cost the gov
eminent an extra penny, Chairman
James w. Wadsworth of the Senate
Military Affairs Committee declared
to-day in opening the fight for uni
versal training and his army reorgani-
cation bill.
The cost Of the universal training
system will be exactly offset by the
saving which this trained reserve will
make possible as against the present
regular army and National Guard sys-
tenn, as continued by the bill passed
~ the House. This was brought out
Hitchcock, who wanted to know why
If the regular army could be gradually
reduced as universal military training
got under way, why it could not be re
duced forthwith. He pointed to the
millions of men just trained for serv-
ice in France who could be called te
the colors in the event of national
danger.
II wonder how long we are going to
ask these men to bear the burden OF
the day." rctortcd Mr. Wadsworth
The New York Senator contcndad Wig
orously that the men who had been il,
ihc army during The war had done thci,
part and had given enough Of thel
time from civilian pursuits without,
the expectancy Of being called ou-
again
Surprise to Westerners
Mr. Wadsworth's statement that uni
versal training would cost no more than
The regular army and National Guard
iystem proposed by the House-which
Incidentally, is only little more than
'alt tie regular army called for BY
secretary of War Baker and Chief OF
taft Marcn-was surprise to the
Middle Western Senators, who are so
rongly opposed to universal training
Many of the Senator's most strongly
opposed to universal training, such rs
.orris, of Nebraska, and Cappcr, OF
Kansas, sat through Mr. Wadsworth's
entire speech. They seemed impressed!
by his prompt demolition of the argu-
ment that universal training was too
expensive to be inaugurated while
the government is still struggling with
the financial obligations growing out
of the war
Senator Chamberlain, ranking Demo-
cratic member of the committee, is
heartily behind Mr.. Wadsworth in the
fight for universal training, as we'll
Is for the reorganization of the army
proposed in the Wadsworth bill.
There were few vacant chairs in the
Senate while Mr.. Wadsworth, after
outlining the provisions of the bill
with regard TO training, went on to
explain the changes IN the army or
ganization. One OF the most impor-
tant changes in the bill is the one pro-
viding that hereafter all promotions
are to be made irrespective of the
Ger is assigned
VIII Aid Whole Army
This will work in the interest of the
whole army, Mr.. Wadsworth pointed
out, because one of the troubles in the
past has been that officers, being hui
nan and selfish, would use all the ar
gumcnts and power they could sum
mon to increase their own bureau OF
branch of the service because such an
increase would bring with it a flow
Vi pi oAiOIIOuS III lueli DrUuCn.
For this reason few officers, com
paratively. have thought of submitting
plans which had as their chief in
SEPARATION the actual improvement Of
the whole army" Mr.. Wadsworth
pointed out.
The House Of Representatives y
said Mr.. Wadsworth. has passed an
army reorganization bill calling for a
regular army Of 100000 men and H.
200 officers. This bill provides for a
regular army or permanent personnel
of 100000 men and $4,000 officers. The
enlisted strength under the Senate bill,
in the matter of the permanent person
mel, is 10000 less than that under the
House bill. The commiss toned strength
IS slightly in excess of that of the
House bill.
"Thc bill provides that when mill
regular army shall be decreased in its
enlisted strength at the rate of 5 per
cent year, and in its commissioned
strength 2 per cent a year for five
years, so that six years from the pas
sage of this act the regular army will
consist Of 21O,0 900 men instead of the
House figures of 100000 men, and the
commissioned personnel of 1920 Of
iiccrs instead Of $4,000.
Will Offset Training Cost
CAS- matter of legislative mechanics
let me say to the Senate that the
money we save by thus progressively
decreasing the regular army, or per
manent personnel, almost exactly off
sets the cost Of universal military
training. other assertions to the CON
trary notw outstanding.
"a regular soldier costs annually
about $500 to maintain The mos,
accurate figures Indicate that at the
end Of six years, with the system in
stalled as suggested in this bill, tie
citizen soldier, the result of the train
ing, organized either into the National
Guard Of the United States or. in the
organized reserves, as provided in this
hi will cast tho Endnral uounrr n, q. Z