Evening star., 1922-03-17
KAHN URGESARMY
OF 1900 OFFICERS
AND 10000 MEN
House Military. Affairs Chair.
man Warns Congress
Against False Economy.

Warning members Of Congress that
false economy is the poorest kind
Of economy" Chairman Kahn of the
House military affairs committee de-
)clared today. during consideration Of
the Army appropriation bill. that
reduction tp the si3e Of the Regular
Army to $4,000 enlisted men and
II. 900. officers. as proposed in the
MEASURE. would be. ""altesether. too
drastic = cut at this time"
The California, representative held
that pay provisions should be made
for 10000 men and $4,000 officers
during the coming ascar year. as
requested by the War Department,
or, IL Congress were determined to
direct a reduction In tho interests
Of economy. that the enlisted strength
should not be decreased below 100000
men.
Warns Of False Economy.
Lately it has seemed to become
profitable on the part Of good many
Of the men in Congress, to insist on
cutting down the allowances for our
Army and Navy" Mr.. Kahn said.
ECONOMY Is the watchword Of a
good many legislators. But let me
call the attention OF the House to
the fact that false economy is the
poorest kind of economy"
Reviewing the military situation
prior to the entrance Of the United
States into the world war, the chair
man asserted that "by reason of our
lack of preparedness we were COM
PEELED to expend during the nineteen
months we were in the war the star
tIing sum of $4,000, ,o0o. 900"
lures Of the American people for
pleasure or non-essential commodi-
ties, the outlay for military purposes
'sinks into comparative tnsignih-
cance," he contended, as he quoted q
variety Of statistics.
Quotes Luxury Figures.
During the fiscal year 1921, the
House was told, when appropriations
for the Regular Army. National
Guard and the organized reserves
aggregated $41S, ,O0U.OO0, the public
spent $685., 100000. for admission to
theaters, concerts, cabarets. base
ball games and other entertainments;
materials; 3750,0oO,O00 for candy and
chewing gum; $4,000, 900 for sodas
and .confections, and $s59,0o0,000 for
personal adornment -
Comparing tho expenditure of the
United States during 1920-lS2l on It's
Army with that expended oy otnes
ststes % %expenditures totaled .$34s,155.-
sos, or SABA per capita, while those OF
the British empire exclusive of DE-
tendencies, amounted to $562,123, 600,
or $12.35 per capita: France. $S3S,-
$4,000, 6r>$22.52 per capita; ltaiy;
fs4sos1seos;. Or oss 500 soo per or csS ssss per
capita .... ~. 40
tcxceedinglyr mindful of the. welfare
Of our people in keeping down mill
tary costs and expenditures declared
the speaker. 's'..,'s,}.s = y
c,mpari.on with other Nations.
Contrasting with other leading
powers the size oflthe Army ii, COM
parison with the population, Mr.. Kahn
said that for the year issl the mum.
ner 1000 population. while the num-
ker. IN Great Britain was 7.34; France
i4.47: italy. SIT; japan. 81, and
"A comparison of our national
wealth with The number .n. e,'f Sf {. soldiers
ths House was informed. shows that
each soldier is charged with afford
ing protection; and, national security
to Sl,755,6s7- OF the $550,0o0, ,0oo,o ,oo0
total Of our. national wealth.
zach Of these soldiers is at pres
emit time protecting some. twenty-five
SQUARE miles Of territory OF our main
land and Dependencies, and with CIV
inK s4S of our people a guarantee
against foreign interference with
their constitutional rights in their
pursuit Of health, happiness and law
fuI gain. All this at . cost of 50 per
capita OF population - Z
The Army appropriation bill, which
until q year ago was drafted an
nually by the. compittee.of which Mr.
kahn is, chairman. was framed, under
the new ruIos Of the House, by q
suheommtttee OF hses msmbers of. the
lppFoprtstiens ,comuittse. headed By
KSpreseAtattxe Anthony. republican.
HAA88Ss s.