The New York herald., 1921-02-26


Now York Herald Bureau,
Washington. ID. c., Feb. 20.
Increases by Senate committees OF
more than s135.Ooo.0o0 in the Army
and Navy appropriation bills for the
next fiscal year will be fought by Re-
publican leaders in the House.
The House will demand that the ap-
propriations be kept at virtually the
same amounts agreed on when the
measures were sent to the Senate,
Representative Anthony (Kan.), in
charge of the Army bill, and Repre-
sentative Kelley (Mich.), in charge of
The Navy bill, predicted to-day.
They have enlisted the aid of leaders
Of both parties in the House. The
fight to be made in the House against
the large increases allowed by the
Senate committees makes it extremely
doubtful if these measures can be
AIR. Harding.
Lodge Exerts Pressure.
Pressure is being brought TO bear on
House members by arguments that
President-elect Harding desires a
that Mr. Harding has written letter
TO Senator Lodge (Mass) urging
that the Army and Navy pIlls be
passed at this session and rezterating
his view, which has been expressed
several times recently, that the United
states should have a strong navy. Mr..
Lodge passed nearly an hour comforting
on the floor OF the House with mem bers
to-day.
If the increases made by the Senate
committees are allowed, this Congress
will be charged with increasing appro-
priations over those already allowed
for the current year. Without the
army and navy increases the appro-
priation bill totals will he slightly in
excess of the amounts allowed for this
year. although the bills show a reduc-
tion of more than sl,00o,000,000 in the
estimates of the departments.
AS reported by the Senate committees,
the army and avyNexpenditure Tor the
next fiscal year, exclusive Of any de
f.ciency that may arise, would be APP
proximately ss5s 100000. The bills as
they passed the House called for
o bout s72S, ,00o.0Oo.
Size of the Army.
A Large part of the increased appro-
priations is due to the fact that the two
Houses do not agree on the size of the
army or navy for which appropriations
should be made. The Senate bill calls
for an army of 1900 men during the
next year, while the House bill is based
OH $50, 900.
Representative Anthony explained that
he believed the House desired an imme-
diate reduction of the army TO 10000
men. The opinion of the Senate Military
Affairs Committee was that this could
not be accomplished during the next
fiscal year. even II all recruiting was
stopped and the normal discharges al
lowed to reduce the army. Mr.. Anthony
thought the Secretary of War should be
authorized to discharge at once enough
men to bring the army down TO 10000
men.
"In every enlistment agreement is a
provision that the enlistment is to be for
go many years unless the Secretary OF
War should order discharge before that
time" said Mr. Anthony. That gives
the War Department power to reduce the
army Nithin a short time"
Representative Kelley refuses 10 agree
to the senate action in providing for
navy Of 100, 900 men during the next
wear instead OF 100. 900 az provided by
the House He also objects TO the Senate
provision increasing the ration allowance
10 sixty cents when the price OF food
stutfs has been declining during the last
few months.