The Washington herald., 1921-01-18
Senate and House Ignore
Pershing and Baker De-
mand for 2SO,OOO.
VETO BY PRESIDENT
EXPECTED BY G. o. P.
Debate in Both Branches
Is Bitter as Administra-
ton Faces Attack.

OF tne StdnulHs army lTOIh the SoV'-
600 authorized in the army reor-
ganization act TO 175,000 passed into
the hands Of President Wilson last
night after the Senate had reversed
it's action of Friday and made the
limit $4,000 men by vote of Al to
80 and the House had acted sim
ilarly by 2S5 to 4.
Presidential veto of the resolu-
ton is expected. as both Newton D.
Baker, Secretary of War, and Gen.
John ]. Pershing have appeared
before Congress to oppose such a
drastic reduction. There is sum
cient strength in favor of the re-
duction in the House to override
the veto, but the votes appear to be
lacking in the Senate to pass the
measure in the face of President
Wilson's disapprOval.
Baker Is Denounced.
Denunciation Of Mr.. Baker for his
action in refusing to limit the army
to the size of the Congressional ap-
preparation was general in the
House prior to the passage Of the
resolution. m the Senate opponents
Of the reconsideration designed to
raise the authorized strength from
10000 to I75.OOO were the only
ones heard with the exception of
Senator James D. Phelan. Of Call
fornia, who made the motion to re-
consider.
Although nc refused to state spe-
4 iTfA Ana huN FF =
necessary to guard against the pos
sibiIity OF war with Japan, Senator
Phelan's argument in behalf of the
authorization for 175,OOO men was
eouched along that line and he took
occasion to warn the Senate that
California would not sanction any
action by the United States In a
treaty with Japan designed to set
thad bseh passed by the California
Reed Leads Opponents.
The assault against the reversal
of the Senate's position was led by
Senators James A. Reed. of Mis-
souri,; William E. Borah, OF Idaho,
and John Sharp Williams. of Missis-
sippi.
All three>of the Senators made the
point that this country has nothing,
even there the possibility is remote.
There remains but one country
powerful enough to attack US" said
Senator Reed, after he had reviewed
the impossibility of attack from any
other source. Il refer to Japan. 1
am inclined to regard with very
great discredit rumors that Japan is
working herself into a war fervor
against the United States. 1t Would
be impossible for her economically.
She could only do it with the aid of
Great Britain. If there were any
such danger We would ned not an
army of 175,OOO, but military train
ing as this country never has dream
ed of. II Japan landed here with an
army of anything less than 5000, 900
men-and she could not do that, be-
cause of the ocean between us-she
would simply have landed them in
cemetery, where the last of them
would sleep forever"
Senator williams, following the
/ line inaugurated by Senator Reed.
| said that he would like to hear an
argument to convince him that even
an army of 100000 men was neces-
sary.
Raises Coward Issue.
There never has been a time in
the history of the L. S." he said.
that We are as little likely to be
drawn into war as now. For the
American people to be afraid is to
confess CowardiCe We are like a
full grown man being afraid of a
child with pop gun. Japan would
be bankrupt in six weeks after she
declared war against the United
States. All the world would be
with this country. All the credit
and commerce and means of contin-
uing a conflict would be taken away
from Japan
The charge that the need for 49,
900 men was an imaginary one
raised by the army to provide the
officers with something to do was
made by Senator Borah.
Il maintain that the figure of
$4,000 which is said to safe is
merely an arbitrary figure fixed by
some interested army officers? The
fact is that we have built up a vast
organization so as to give color to
the ofticered strength and to enable
captain, for instance, to have six
men instead OF four under him. That
means that we will never have a
chance to reduce the army below
175,o0o. We have got to take this
question up some time and we might
as well take it up now"
/ Would Aid Disabled.
! Senator Borah suggested that the
money saved in reducing the size
of the army be devoted to care OF
patients made by the war who he
said were walking the streets in
dire distress.
/ Vigorous denunciation of Mr.
Baker for his "contemptuous disre-
gard of the peoples will" in re-
/ Cruiting the army to 225.OOO pre-
/ ceded the adoption by the House Of
/ the resolution. julius Kahn, of
California, chairman of the House
/ Military Affairs Committee. led the
fight against the Secretary of War.
pointing out that although the cost
of maintaining q soldier has de-
| creased since the armistice, Mr..
Baker had authority only to bring
the strength of the army to 175,0oo.