New-York tribune., 1922-03-14
House Committee Reports
Measure Providing for
Force Of II5,OOO Enlist.
cd Men, lI,OOO Officers
Fight OH Floor Certain
Reduction by Withdrawing
Troops il, Hawaii, Philip.
pines and China Urged

compared with the appropriation for
last year. the House Approximations
Committee to-day reported favorably
the War Department appropriation bill
rearrying total of S27o,353 ,03O67. The
committees action is declared to be the
ssignal for open hostilities in the House
sAetween the big army" advocates and
vshe "little army men, who would stand
Soy the Appropriations Committee in
sraving every dollar possible without
hurting the efficiency of the land forces.
The fight is expected to be carried TO
she foor almost immediately, for it il
slammed to pass the bill before the end
Of the week.
Executive Power Assumed
The bill, although drawn with re-
gard to the constitutional provision
that the President is commander in
CHIEF Of the army, at the same time
takes advantage of the powers of Con
sress as TO maintenance of tho army
and thus puts the disposition Of the
forces TO some extent in the hands OF
Congress In providing for return Of
all troops stationed in China and part
OF the troops from Hawaii. the canal
zone and Germany the bill virtually
says what shall be the disposition Of
the troops and thus commands the
forces through its power over the
parse strings.
The bill makes provision for not moro
than 1000 commissioned officers and
Jl50OO enlisted men. exclusive Of the
Philippine Scouts. of which there ar.
approximately 1000, making a total OF
about 10000 enlisted men. Chairman
Madden and the committee are deter
r'ned to allow no increases over their
figures. Their bill is the product Of
three months work in al effort to
lesrn wherein lay the excessive cost Of
maintaining the regular army over pre-
var expenditures, and they believe the
mes sure brought out to-day is the kew.
Therefore they are expected to put up a
stiff resistance against changing any
item.
Cuts Under Harding's Estimate
At the same time, however. Presi-
dent Harding has announced he does
rot believe the army can be safely cut
70 less than 130,0 GOO enlisted men, a
slightly larger number than are pro-
vlded. There are many in the House
who follow him and will demand that
. The committee permit the increase to
. the executives figure. III addition to
c these, there are few who think the
, Secretary of War should have a free
4 hand in determining the proper size of
a the regular army. He asked in the
j original estimates for an army of 49,
600 officers and 1853 900 enlisted men.
In accomplishing the reduction Of
The enlisted personnel from the present
$4,000 to 1000 the appropriations
Z committees asks drastic reductions OF
the garrisons in the Hawaiian Islands
I and the Panama Canal zone. These
the committee believes, are "unduiy
enlisted force approximately $4,000 are
stationed outside the continental limits
Of the United States. A limitation
placed in the bill requires that 14,1OO
mel be returned to the United States.
They would be drawn. $500 from the
Hawaiian Islands, ? 900 from the Canal
Zone, 5000 from Germany and 600
from China.
No Troops Needed in China
THE troops in Germany are gradual
ly being reduced, and it is believed
1t VIII not be necessary to maintain
any troops in Europe during the fiscal
year 1923, says report accompa rrang
the army bill. 'No adequate reason
has been shown for the maintenance
OF any troops in China.
In view of these considerations. the
accompanying bill recommends a lin
la,ioA Oh the appropriation for pay
oI inc army which provides that. cx~
eept IN tlme of emergency, appropri-
a'ioh snall not be used for payment of
more than 5000 enllsyed men in the
Hawallan Islands or more than 5000
eenNsted men in the Panama Canal
zone or more than 500 officers and men
.u Europe, nor for payment of any
troops gaMisoned in Cnfna.
AIDING to the approximately $4,000
men winch it IS proposed to return
from the Hawaiian Islands, the Canal
zone Germany and China, such num-
Der as the War Department may decide
10 return from the Philippines will
MAKE the total number of men to be
returned to continental United States
practically reach the NUMBER N7,OOu,
oy winch the accompanying bill pro-
poses to reduce the present actual en-
hSfed strength Of the army.
>. In other words, the proposed reduc-
'ion IN the present actual enlisted
Strength Of the army will involve prac-
tlcaily no reduction in the number Of
n'en N continental United States,
which the committee believes will over
come the principal objection to a re-
auction in the army"
No Reduction in United States
as a result of its investigation of
.ae nigh cost Of maintaining the army
the committee states it has found that
1t IS largely due to the expensive
methods of its administration.
the 1T scene seemed to be the fixed policy of
sae genera staff TO station full divi-
slons in Hawaii and Panama" it is
Continued: Except in times Of emer-
gency II is not believed such policy
IS justified, as it will cost as much to
ma3ntaln these divisions in Panama
sno hawaii as our entire regular army
Ss1 sos1 US IN the years following the
spanish war. Another source of large
expense is the maintenance of Ameri-
sah EooPs on the Rhine Germany has
JANET TO fulfill her contract of paying