The New York herald., 1921-01-28
HARDING LIMITED
ARMY TO 10000,
LEADER REPORTS
Rep. Anthony Says Presi-
dent-Elect Suggested
Maximum Figure.
BILL READY FOR HOUSE
Reserves and National
Guard Relied Upon for a
Sufficient Force.
CIVILIAN ROLL HALVED
10000 Trucks and 10000
Horses and Mules Must
Be Sold.
CIVILIAN ROLL HALvED
By the Associated Press.

/
been made in the annual army ap-
preparation bill for an army of only
100000, at the suggestion of President
elect Harding, Representative Anthony
Of Kansas. chairman of the House
Appropriations Subcommittee. which
drafted the measure, said tonight in
announcing that the bill was ready to
be reported to the House.
The proposed army of 100000. which
compares with the present army Of
about 213,000 men and with the army
of 175,000 men fixed in a resolution
recently adopted by the House and
Senate was suggested by Mr. Harding
as a proper maximum, Mr.. Anthony
| said, at the recent conference which
he held with the President-elect at
Marion. Mr.. Harding, according to
Mr.. Anthony, expressed the belief that
an army of $4,000 men, together with
the reserves, National Guard and other
available forces, should provide suf-
| ficient military establishment for the
nation in time of peace.
| The army appropriation BILL which
probably will be submitted to the House
| tomorrow. carries appropriations total
| ling 1928 900 ,000 which sum represents
| a reduction of S62 ,000, 900 from the ap-
preparation for the present year. and d
| cut of more than half in the estimates
amounting to s690,000,000 submitted by
the War Department
Half Civilian Dm ployees Cut on.
| The cut in the appropriation, Mr..
| Anthony said, was In no way connected
with disarmament discussions, but re-
suited from the conviction OF committee
members that "the army has been living
too high"
The subcommittee went over the
measure to-day. making final revisions,
and the net result was an elimination or
about s2.000,o0o from the total OF $3.50
100000 which the committee several
days ago was reported to have agreed on.
The most drastic of the appropriation
cuts. Mr.. Anthony said. was in the
amount provided for the pay OF civilian
employees of the army and War De-
partment. The decrease decided on by
the committee, he said. would reduce
the number of such employees by one
half and mean the dismissal OF from
10000 to $4,000.
Nearly all construction would be elm
mated under the bill and keeping wltnin
| it's provisions, Mr.. Anthony said. would
mean that the War Department must
! dispose of at least half OF the present
army camps.
The committee Mr.. Anthony said. felt
that the American troops In Germany
would be withdrawn in few months
/ and this influenced IL In framing the
bill. Testimony showed that the ex-
penses OF aintaining the troops on the
| Rhine TO December ! amounted to S270.-
! 600. 900. of which Germany had paid
only s30.0O0,000.
"As far as we know the chairman
added, 'the War Department is making
no effort to make Germany pay up
Trucks and Mules Must Go.
Salaries paid to civilian employees in
the vocational training last year reached
about s1,4O0,CO0, Mr. Anthony said. add
ing that the amount which could be ex-
pended for this Item under this bill
would be limited to $4,000.
The bill would direct the War De-
partment to sell 10000 of its 10000 re-
serve motor trucks and 10000 of Its
$4,000. surplus horses and mules, which,
Mr.. Anthony said. were found to be cost
Ing the Government S9000,000 a year
for feed and care.
The air service under the bill would
get SIS, 200, 900. of which s4,000.oC0 is for
new production. Several airplanes of I.
newly developed type carrying rs nm
/ guns would be authorized.
Approximately si.5O0.00o is provided for
the chemical warfare branch
An "amphibious" tank capable of go
| ing under water has been developed.
/ Mr.. Anthony said, and the appropriation
/ for the Tank Corps contemplates u
number of them.
Liberal provision was said by Mr..
Anthony, to have been made In the bill
| for the student volunteer training corps.
of which training about 10000 young
men in schools and colleges now are
| availing themselves. The bill also pro-
vides for one civilian training camp in
| each of III, nine army corps areas IN
which 10000 men can be trained. These
camps will be held In the summer
months for either "a two weeks or u
thirty day period. Mr.. Anthony said.
He added that liberal provision also was
made for the reserve officers corps.
| All the special services. Mr.. Anthony
said are provided for under the bill
which, he added. was framed so as to
bring the army back to peace time ac-
tivities with much of the work which
has been done by civilians turned over
| I'm the future to commissioned officers
and enlisted men.
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