New-York tribune., 1921-01-18
Baker Given Plain Intima.
ton That Enlistments
Must Be Held Up Until
Excess Is Wiped Out
Final Agreement
Is Expected To-day
Mondell Calls Action of
Secretary ''Contemptu.
ousDefiance'' of PEOPLE
rom The yrtbmme's Woshiuoton B,.re,

From The Tribmme's Washinoton Bureou
WASHINGTON, Jan. IT, Congress
to-day fixed the size of the army at
$4,000 men and practically ordered
Secretary Baker to stop enlistments
until the force has been reduced to
that figure.
After protracted debate the Senate
reconsidered the Wadsworth bill as
amended by the Lenroot amendment to
fix the army at 10000 men and then
passed the measure with limit of
175,O0O
About the same time the House
passed the Kahn bill, which stops en-
hstments and fixes the size of the
army at 175,O00. The House acted after
brief debate and by vote of 2s5 to 4.
Agreement on the two bills will be
an easy matter and will probably be
accomplished tomorrow.
The Houses sudden decision was a
surprise, as there had been much talk
Of the House voting to reduce the army
to 10000 after fight; The action of
both houses is attributed to the fact
that General Pershing and other army
officers and Secretary Baker have in
sisted that an army Of 10000 was too
small. General Pershing, before the
Senate Military Committee Saturday,
opposed reduction below 100000.
Moreover, in the Senate, Senators
Wadsworth and New have been active
since Saturday lab6ring with Senators
and wiring absentees to be on hand
for the test they expected to-day. SEN
ator Phelan, of California, offered the
ate Saturday and offered it against the
advice Of Senators Wadsworth and
New, who at first did not believe it
would prevail.
Wilson Veto a Factor
the desire of both houses to stop
adding to expense by allowing en-
listments to go on at the rate Of from
1000 to 1000 day and the fear that
if the measure was passed on the 150,-
600 basis the President would veto it
ON advice Of Secretary Baker.
The Senate discussed the bill nearly
the entire afternoon. Reconside
was brought about by the adoption of
the Phelan motion. 1t was adopted
as to &c. Several hours of spirited de-
bate followed, Senators Reed, Williams
and Mcclellan Democrats, and Borah,
Republican, making vigorous pleas for
the 10000 army, and Senators Phelan
and Fletcher, Democrats, speaking for
175,0O0.
The test roll call, which virtually
fixed the limit at 175,000, was:
For the I.enroot amendment:
nepuOies ns--borah Gapper Gronna. ma
ette, McNary, Norris srnoot--s.
Democrats-Dial, Gerry. Gore, Harrison,
Henin. johnson, of South Dakota; JONES'
Owen. Pittman. Reed. sheppard. Simmons
Smith. of Arizona; Smith. OF Maryland: !:
Stanley. Swanson, Trammel, Underwood
tana; Williams-24.
Total for Lenroot amendment-33.
Against the Lenroot amendment:
curtis. Dillingham;, Fall, Fernald. F'relns-
huysen. Gooding, Hale. Johnson, Of Cali
ffornia; Kellogg. Keyes. Knox. Mclean,
Poindexter. Sherman. Spencer, Sutherland.
Townsend, Wadsworth. Warren. Willis
Democrats-Ashurst. Beckham, Fletch-
er, Gay. Harris. Henderson. Hitchcock,
Kirby. Myers, Phelan, Ransdell Robinson,
Smith, Of Georgia-l3.
Total against Lenroot amendment--41.
Colt and Curtis Reconsider
The most marked changes of position
among Republicans were those Of Sem
ators Colt and Curtis, who last week
voted for the Lenroot amendment. A
number Of Senators who were absent
last week were on hand for vote to-day.
Among them were Senator's Lodge and
Penrose.
Senator Reed, of Missouri, was the
first to take the floor for the Lenroot
plan of a 10000 army.
II am delighted" he said, "to find
that the same committee that a few
months ago insisted on an army of 3oo,-
900 has now revised it's views and is
willing to reduce the army to 175,000.
It's an indication that some Of the old
ideas that our government had before
the war are beginning to filter into the
(CoAtnued On page feurl