The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-23
Defeats Amendment to
Raise Strength to
10000 Men.
CUTS FUNDS FOR
TRAINING CORPS
Naval Affairs Committee
Reports Bill for &c.
600 in Navy.

partment for adequate national de-
fense, the House yesterday voted to
reduce the nation to a condition
approximating its prewar state.
The recommendation of the APP
propriations Committee for an army
of not more than $4,000 enlisted
men was upheld against all efforts
to amend it Representative Kahn,
of California, chairman of the Mill
tary Affairs Committee, leading an
insurgent movement with the back
ing OF the administration. offered
an amendment for an army of $780,
600, the present authorized strength.
The amendment was rejected by a
vote of 81 to 45.
Urges Cut 90 100000.
Not content with merely cutting
the size of the army below what
the War Department regards as the
danger mark, Southern Democrats
proposed still more radical reduc-
tions.
Representative Sisson, Of Missis-
sippi, offered an amendment for an
army of 100000. This was rejected
IS to Fl. Representative Quin, OF
Mississippi. proposed an army of
$4,000. This was likewise defeated
viva voce. With all the amend
ments beaten. the committee recon-
mendation for $4,000 enlisted men
ste cd UNCHANGED
But the reduction OF the regular
army to $4,000 enlisted men did
| not mark the end of the achieve
ments of army opponents They
succeeded also in knocking into a
| cooked hat the War Department
\ rlans for a reserve officers training
corps to be available as the nucleus
for a citizens army in case of war
The War Department wanted s4,-
100000 for this purpose. The APP
propriations Committee allowed
| $25O.000. Repeated efforts to in.
crease the amount were made on the
| floor yesterday by members of the
Military Affairs Committee, but
without avail
| Naval Committee Rebels.
Notwithstanding the success Of
the committee yesterday there wer,
unmistakable signs of growing re.
bellion against the increasing con.
| centration of legislative authority
in its hands. The Naval Affair:
Committee, aroused by the pro.
posal to cut the navy to $1,000 en-.
listed men, took the bit in its teeth
and reported a bill along the line:
| of the Presidents and the Navy De.
partments recommendations. The
measure fixes the enlisted strength
! of the navy at $4,000 men. which /:
about the number desired by Presi.
/ dent Harding and the Secretary Of
| the Navy.
At the same time members Of the
Military Affairs Committee Launched
a vigorous offensive against tha'
| section of the army bill under which
| it is charged Congress would usurI
important functions of the Presi'
dent as chief of the
army and navy. This section woult
lay down the principle of Congress:
| controlling the movements of the
army and the distribution of troop:
! through control of the purse
! strings.
Representative Crago. of Pennsyl.
vania, member Of the Military AT
| fairs Committee, raised n point oi
order against the section on the
| ground that it constituted genera
| legislation involving question o.
policy in an appropriation bill ant
| therefore transgressed the rules oi
the House.
The debate was at its height when
Representative Anthony. of Kansas
in charge of the bill. asked for ar
adjournment and action was de-
ferred, probably until today. A
veto is expected if the rider is KEEP
in the bill.
The administration, facing defeSt
in it's efforts to prevent the reduc-
| ton of the army to $4,000. already
| has set under way an effort to fore
stall similar drastic cuts In the
personnel of the navy.
President Harding informed men,
bers of the House he was strongly
opposed to the contemplated reduc-
tion of the navy to 5000, on the
grounds that it would destroy the
5-5-3 feet ratio established by
the arms conference.
House Against 1t.
Shortly afterward a bill was re-
ported from the Naval Affairs Com
mittee, providing for a navy OF
10000 enlisted men and 3,440 Of
fcers. The naval committee will
have the support of President Hard
ing and Secretary DENLY. Opposed
to il will be the subcommittee OF
the House Appropriations Commit
tee, now preparing the bill provia-
ing for the reduction to $1,000.
The President will insist that q
feet of eighteen dreadnaughts and
the necessary auxiliary craft be
kept completely manned. .
Breaks Up Operations.
Naval officers said, however. that
IL the reductions contemplated in the
appropriations were made, twelve
battleships and proportionate
number of smaller craft would prob
ably constitute the strength Of the
| navy. Further naval officers pre-
dicted a reunion Of the Atlantic and
Pacific fleets, declaring 1t would be
| impossible to carry on training and
tactical fleet operations otherwise
1t was thought that the fleet would
be in the Pacific.
Naval yard o1S,, u-o,,ld close 4,