Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-01-28
Congress Decides an Army OF
$4,000 Is Enough, Despite
''YeIIoW Peril"
HOUSE DECLINES TO GROW
Measure Leaves Mem
bership at 435 = Harding Goes
to Florida Without Announcing
Cabinet - BRAND Becomes Pre-
mier Of France and Repara-
tions Conference opens.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

BY EDWARD w. FISNAnD.
Congress took action on two import
ant and interesting matters last week.
one of these related to the national
defense. The senate, which had voted
for reduction of the strength OF the
army to 10000 men, reconsidered It's
vote and repassed the New resolution
directing the secretary OF war TO suS-
mend enlistments until a reduction to
$4,000 men was accomplished. The
house promptly passed a similar reso-
luton almost unanimously, and the
measure went to the President. IL
was expected, in view of the opposition
of the war department, that Mr.. WIZ
son would veto it, and that congress
would pass it over the veto.
This is supposed to be measure OF
economy which will save about forty
million dollars year to the govern
ment. The senate was restrained from
being even more economical only by
representations from Secretary of War
Baker that the 10000 limit would
upset, the departments plans for army
organization, and from General Persh-
ing that 100000 men was the bottom
limit Of safety. Of course the sena-
tors in this connection debated the
yellow peril" Phelan of California
asserted the necessity for large garri-
sons in Pacific possessions was greater
now than during the war, while Reed
and Williams ridfculed the danger
and said Japan never would dare to
attack the United States without the
assistance of Great Britain.
It is likely that the latter view is
that generally held in America, except
by the people of the Pacific coast, to
whom the japanese peril looms large.
1t accords, also, with the expert opln-
ion of the German Admiral Scheer,
who says it would be almost impossi-
ble for Japan to land an army on
American soil. Some people have
grown excited over the murder OF an
American navy lieutenant by Japa-
nese sentry in Vladivostok. There Is
no doubt that this affair will be set
tied automatically, though the sharp
note from Washington, virtually ques-
tioning Japan's right in the Siberian
city, may result in an acrid exchange.
The arbitrary actions of the japanese
authorities In VladivostOk, which they
hold under military rule, have caused
a good deal of irritation-but the gov
eminent in Tokyo is too smooth to
permit them to lead to hOStilities with
the United States.
The other interesting congressional
action was taken by the house on
Wednesday, when it decided by
vote of 267 to 76, that during the next
ten years it shall be composed Of the
same number Of representatives as
now-435 The plan of apportionment
adopted provides that eight states
shall gain in representation and elev-
en- lose. California gets three more
members, Ohio and Michigan two more
each, and New Jersey, Connecticut,
North Carolina, Texas. and Washing
ton one each. The losers are Missouri,
two; and Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky,
Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska,
Rhode Island and Vermont, one EACH
Because the population has been
drifting from the farm to the city, the
agricultural constituencies of the West
and South are the ones that suffer
most in loss of representation. The
congressman from those regions were
the chief opponents of the measure.
and their main argument was that the
census, being taken during the war
period when the young men of the
country had been drafted or attracted
to the cities by high wages was unfair.