Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-06-16
Deadlock
Over Army
Secretary Weeks Pleads I'm.
availingly With Conferees
Who Report Back for
Further Instructions.
Disagree on Navy Bill
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING

BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING
'hiesso Tribune~Omaha Bee Leased Wire
Washington, June l5.-The Who'll,
program OF national defense Oh lane
and sea was thrown into deadloci
today by the irreconciable differ.
,nces between the senate and house
Fearful that disastrous consc'
quences may result from the drastic
reductions in the army and navy or.
dcred by the house, the admnistra.
tion today for the first time took q
hand in the controversy.
Secretary of War Weeks wen,
before the senate and house con
terees on the army bill and pleaded
for the senate measure fixing The
minimum strength of the army al
10000 men. On behalf of the navy
Admirals Coontz and Washington
appeared before the conferees on the
navy bill in an effort to ward off the
big cut proposed by the house in the
naval enlisted strength.
Weeks Tells Of Danger.
Although the secretary OF war has
been known for some time to be op-
posed to the army reduction ordered
by the house, he took occasion today
TO emphasize with new vigor the
ruinous effects that would follow
such curtailment. He told the con-
terees' that he would be unwilling to
accept the responsibility for what
might happen to the army if the pro-
visions of the house bill were re-
tanned, compelling reduction of the
army to 10000 in the next year.
The conferees thereupon broke up
i'll disagreement over the question
OF the size of the army and decided
to report back to their respective
houses for further instructions. The
question will come up first in the
house anr if the house is inclined to
yield the bill will be brought to a
showdown i'll the senate.
The whole controversy revolveS
around the appropriation for pay of
enlisted men which automatically
fixes the size of the army. The ap-
preparation for this purpose in the
house bill is $72,0O0,OOO while in the
senate bill it is $Sl, 100000. Secre-
tary Weeks explained to the con-
ierees that the house bill would
Hecessitate cutting the size of the
army to 10000 men. The appro-
priation in the senate bill, it is cs-
timated, will prevent the strength of
the army from falling below 10000
men.
\ The house conferees proposed
compromise today under the terms Of
which they would agree to an army
OF 10000 men, provided the reduc-
ton would be made within the next
three months. Secretary Weeks
pointed out, however, that the pres
ent strength of the army is about
10000 so that the compromise pro-
nosal would require the discharge
Of rot less than $4,000 men before
October l. Inasmucn as the normal
si..;nkage in the size of the army
through expiration of terms of en-
i;stments and applications for dis
charge would be only aboAt 10000
II cn. the secretary explained that It
would be necessary to go into the
.y.,aks and arbitrarily throw $4,000
ion cut of the army against their
Vill in utter disregard OF their en-
lisiment contracts.
Aside from the appropriation Tor
cai.sted pay the conferees were IN
iaaccord on all items Including the
senate appropriation for enlisted pay
tic total amount carried in the bill
is $3.50, 100000 or $le.000,00U less
t!.;,. it carried last March when
President Wilson pocket vetoed it
because it was too small.
Differences Over Navy.
The disagreement between the
two houses over the navy are even
r,ore acute. The conferees have held
Numerous sessions and have failed
TO reach an agreement an any OF the
important differences. The differ
erces between TIL two bills is approx
in:ately Sl00.000,O00. The principal
bone Of contention is the strength
OF enlisted personnel. The house
has provided for 100000 men and
the senate provided for 10000 men.
The navy contends that 10000 men
are necessary to properly man the
vessels at sea. Admiral Coontz and
Admiral Washington are understood
to have strongly supported this view
OF today's conference.
Prospects are that the naval con-
ferees will follow the example OF
the army conferees and break up in
a disagreement at an early date, re-
ferring the controversy back to the
house for further instructions.
Aurora, Neb., June 15.-(Special.)
Bridges between Aurora and
Grand Island arc nearly washed out.
Signs saying. "Cross at your own
risk" were on the Central City
bridge today. At 5 this afternoon
The water was within one foot of
the flooring of the new concrete
bridge between here and Grand
Island. If the water gets much high
er it will ,sash away the sand ap-
proaches causing much damage and