Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-10
Act0n Of Congress on 14rmy
Bill Proof Of Tendency TO
mt0N0rmal; Gut TaxeS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ieased Wire Service to The Journal.)
DOWNRIGHT 1921


WASHINGTON, Feb. 8.-No bet
ter proof of the tendency to return
to pormalcy in a hurry could be
given than in the overwhelming vote
by which both houses of congress
have just passed over President Will
sons veto the bill TO reduce the
army from 28O,0O0<~to 175,000 men.
Democrats joined the Republicans,
not because of any desire to take
slap at the White House, but be-
cause as several members explained
it today, public opinion in all parts
Of the country is insistently de-
manding that congress economic
dares stand in the way of the prun-
ing knife and while, as is customary
during waves of economy, some
worthwhile appropriations are lost
in the shuttle, the desire to cut down
the size of the army proceeded rath-
few years at least there would be
more than enough ex-service men in
the country to respond instantly to
an emergency call.
Back of the fight for larger army
has been the argument that while
the number of priVateS might be re-
duced, officers could not be kept I'M
less the army organization were
large enough to hold them. But
there, too, members of congress seem
to feel that plenty of officers will
be available for the next few years
at least out Of the ranks of the
world war veterans.
Veto, Advice Of Baker
President Wilson sent his veto
message upon the advice of Secre-
tary Baker, who, of course, lives In
the atmosphere of the general staff,
where the desire to maintain large
army so as to keep enough officers
officers to hold their rank, is not
an insignificant or unnatural factor
in the psychology of the situation.
In congress, however, there has
been an abrupt return to conditions
as they existed before the war when
repeatedly for appropriations. The
irony of the present situation is that
while Secretaries Baker and Daniels
and the Democratic administration
bore the brunt Of the criticism lev
elled by the National Security league
unpreparedness of the United States
on entering the world war, it is the
Republican congress which today is
compelling the reduction of the army
to $4,000, and it is a Democratic
president who is contending for the
viewpoint of Theodore Roosevelt,
who used to say the peace-time
be less than 100000 men.
The true significance Of the tenn
per Of congress cannot be judged
alone by the reduction Of the army.
The spontaneous outburst, in the
senate against the suggestion from
abroad that America be asked to
cancel the allied war debt is another
symptom Of normally. Just as be-
fore the war it would have been re-
garded as out Of the question for
the United States to loan money to
European countries to assist them to
reach either political or economic
stability, so any hint or remark that
speaks of loaning money to foreign
governments is promptly resented.
This, however, Is not only true of
Republicans, but Democrats.
Genuine Economy Streak
Carter Glass, senator from Vir-
ginia, warned Europe when he was
Secretary of the treasury that Amer
| lea had ceased her loans to. foreign
governments and was going out Of
| the banking business. Republicans
are taking the same position and the
| move to prohibit by statute the max
| ing of any foreign loans may go
| through congress more easily than
| most people suppose.
The reason for this attitude may
be misunderstood abroad as selfish
ness or Indifference to Europe's
woes, but it is really a reaction in
| Washington against financial trans
actions with Europe at time when
domestic reconstruction requires ev-
cry resource. Some of our legisla-
| tors, indeed, soon will begin to be-
tray signs Of nervousness over the
| payment of interest by the allies on
present debts and the deferring of
those payments may occasion even
more controversy than the vague
hints about cancellation Of the prin-
cipal In other words, judging by
the temper of congress, foreign gov
ernments may, in the not far distant
futuse, be pressed to pay interest on
the present loans IN order that the
amounts which must be raised in
side the United States by taxation
may be reduced and thus individual
| income tax rates brought down.
| Congress is thinking more in eco
| nomic than political terms now-a-