Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-01-27
The WORST FRIEND
T. OF The U. S. ARMY
High Official Defies Wishes of Con-
gresS, But He Has Been Told
Where to Stop.


"Oh, please, Uncle Ted, " pleaded
| Jack. Johnny and | have been
playing around all afternoon with
| our tin soldiers and we do want to
hear story"
You're an awful tease sometimes,
/ Jack" replied Uncle Ted. And
| you know / get tired once in a while.
! Wen, you have given me an idea.
| You say you've been playing with
I your tin soldiers all afternoon, so
! I'll tell you story about the United
| States army and the worst friend il
ever had
who is that?" asked Ruth, who
had Joined the interested circle.
None other than the man to
/ whom President Wilson has given
the job of looking after the army,
/ Newton d. Baker, Secretary Of War.
! Before we went to war with Ger
many Mr. Baker was one of our best
| little pacifists. In fact, it was due
60 him probably as much as to any
one else that the country found it.
self in such an utterly hopeless state
of preparedness when we faced war.
The story of the cost of that brand
of pacifish you know very well. 1t
cost the country an awful lot both
in lives and money. Now recently,
he has become very vindictive and
fought for an enormous army much
greater than the country needs, with
the result that Congress does not
trust his views on the matter"
81 shouldn't think they would"
spoke up Johnny.
That's right, Johnny. Mr.. Baker
has given the men in Washington
who make our laws entirely too
many reasons for going ahead and
doing the things that they know Mr..
Baker doesn't want. What seems to
be the answer to this change of at
titude regarding the size of the army
is that because millions of voters
went to the polls and voted to turn
down President Wilson's league OF
nations, Mr.. Baker thinks we should
have big army"
We'll, we didn't have his league
before the war, so why shouldn't we
have had big army them" asked
Jack.
''Of course, Jack, that is one way
to look at 1t, but really his argument
isn't at all sound. In 1919 he asked
or rather demanded that Congress
make an army of more than $50, 900
men. Congress, acting wisely, cut
that down fifty per cent and placed
the size of the standing army at
100000 and only made provisions
for enough money to support an
army of $4,000 men for 1920 and
1921.
Now what do you suppose Mr..
Do I'll -
following the wishes of Congress.
made up Of the Representatives of
the people Of this country, he abso-
lutely turned up his nose at them
and started a campaign to recruit
men to the army, spending thousands
of dollars on advertising, until when
Congress went into session last De-
cember they discovered that he had
an army of 100000, which had made
deficit of $40,000,000. The Mill
| tary Affairs Committees of the Sem
ate and House of Representatives got
busy. A resolution was offered in
the Senate ordering him to stop re-
cruiting until the number of men
had dropped to 175,000, the figure
for which funds had been provided
by Congress and they found it neces-
sary to place Mr.. Baker under bond,
to keep him from throwing away the
public money.
when Mr.. Baker was, demanding
that no less than 100000 men must
be kent under arms at all times Cen
eral Pershing said that 175,0O0
would be enough. 1t was agreed that
General Pershing's figures was safe
one and that 20 go below that might
be unsafe. The Senate has now set
tied on an army OF $4,000, brought
about by a resolution introduced, by
Senator Harry S. New of Indiana.
When the matter was being discuss
ed in the Senate many things were
said regarding not only Mr.. Baker,
but Secretary of the Navy Daniels as
well.
I'm fact it was Senator Reed, dem
| ocrat, who made a speech in which
he said Mr.. Daniels wanted to do
away with all our navy one minute
and the next minute he wanted the
biggest navy in the world"
What has the House done?" ask
ed Jack.
''The House, Jack. adopted reso-
| luton by Chairman Kahn of the Mil
itary Affairs Committee. settling the
army at the same figure, $4,000.
There were plenty of things said in
the House. too. Representative Mon
dell, of Wyoming, republican leader,
said that when Congress appropriate
ed money for only ITS, 900 men, Sec
rotary Baker knew what it meant
Instead of following it, said Mr.
Mondell. the Secretary of War in
spirit of pique and willfulness de-
fled the will of Congress and recruit
ed 22O 900. Democrats who are now
squirming ought to be thankful that
this is not a resolution of censure.
In all history there has been no ex-
ample like the Secretay of Wars
contempt and violation of the peo-
pies will as expressed by Congress"