The Washington herald., 1921-08-06

ARMYREDUCED
TOlOO,OOOMEN
Would Stop Battleship
Building to Save Ex-
penditures.
SENATOR INSISTS
ON LOWER TAXES
Urges Cut in Army OFF,
GERS and Dismissal of
More Clerks.

for increased taxation. the senste
yesterday resounded with camor for
tightening the government purse
strings to a degree never before
contemplated in the economic pro-
gram
Senator Borah. OF Idaho. who pre-
cipitated the debate. called for the
cooperation Of the administration
in carrying out the most drastic
economies yet suggested TO restore
governmental expenditures 20 nor
maIcy." He outlined these econO-
mics broadly in the following man
ner:
Would cut Army 90 100000
Reduce the enlisted strength OF
the army TO 100000 men, erecung
saving Of ,75,ooo. 900 to sIOO.oeo.eoo
thereby.
Suspend battleship construction.
at least until revised designs can
be prepared as a result OF the re-
cent bombing experiments. saving
thereby approximately s24o.ooo.Ooo.
Withdraw the $4,000 American
troops now being maintained In
Germany at an expense Of about
81 .00o. 900 monthly.
Cut the number OF army ofhcers
about one-half. reducing the outlay
for the pay Of commissioned per
sonneI about sSo.ooo.oOO.
Dismiss still more ofhciaIs and
clerks in the government employ.
starts wide DI.es..ie.-
senator Borah's suggestion
brought on a discussion covering .
wide range Of subjects. including
ME coming disarmament conference.
international relations generally.
prospects of peace with Germany.
causes for maintaining troops on the
I Rhine. the meaning OF the Knox
resolution. and aircraft versus capi-
tai ships in modern warfare
Senator McKellar, OF Tennessee,
Democrat, called attention TO the
fact that the British house Of COM
mons had just authorized four new
superdreadnoughts and inquired
whether this action augured we'll
for results at the coming disarma-
1 ment conference. Senator Borah
I -Anlied that the British could not
be greatly blamed. so long as the
I %. lies pc. .srsTed in the buiio-
ing of sixteen new battleships. but
agreed that il did not furnish .
very favorable prospect of success
II the conference.
Senator 'Borah declared that to In
crease taxation now would be al
most a disaster" while TO merely
fail to reduce taxes would be de
plorable-"
Must Reduce Expenditures.
There IS only one way To reduce
taxation and that is to reduce eN-
penditures.'' said Senator Borah.
And there are only two places
where any very Suhsts ntial econUs
mics can he made. and those TIVE
places are the army and navy. X
We are not willing to reduce in
these two places, We may as well
: say 10 the country right now that
: there is no hone Of tax reduction.
Il we increase taxation and at the
} Sc me time do not reduce the sire
Of the army. you can depend on II
> that the Republican majority In
10th Houses will he considerably re-
. ouced in the next election. As
party. we simply cannot afford u
permit an increase in taxation"
The Republican Party, Senator
Borah declared. was solemuly
LEGGED to withdraw the troops from
Germany at the earliest possible
moment Despite the fact that Ger
many under the terms Of the ar
! nistice. was under obligations TO
pay for their maintenance, the fact
r OF the matter is that the cost OF
their upkeep is coming out OF the
rockets of American taxpayers, ne
said.
, Want Troops withdraw.
France Is maintaining an army
Of 100000 men," said Senator Bran
degee. Of Connecticut. Republican.
Il am at a loss to understand the
> necessity Of maintaining our small
force there. II seems to me that
three years after the war Is over
the American people are entitled %
, know. without anybody being en-
barrassed. why an American army
is being maintained in Europe"
Senator McEellar pointed out
that the peace resolution was sup
II
with Germany under which IL would
be unlawful to keep the American
troops in Germany. Senator
Fletcher: Of Florida. Democrat. in-
SISTED that the United States had
no right TO maintain troops, in Ger
r1any"
Dlscuss Aerial BombIng.
The recent bombing experiments
off the Virginia Capes demonstrated
that the United states was now
srending sa4O.00O.0 900 on naval con-
struction ''in a way that VIII never
i.dd any security 70 the people OF
tae United States" Senator Borsh,
declared.
Senator Jones. of Washington
Republican. said he had witnessed
tn bombing tests and told the SEN
ate that naval onicers regarded "
as q l.0eo-to-l shot that the air
craft would sink the dreadn- . shf
/ Oestfrieslahd. yet they sent her 60
the bottom In tess than half an hour
after the real attack was ruaGe.
As a vehicle for his remarks Sew
sfor Boran introduced a rerolutier
Z, reduce the army TO ioo.oeo -aen.
IL was referred 20 the military Az
j fsirs Comudttee.