The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-18
|. O. p. LEADERS AT LOGGERHEADS
 OVER ARMY BILL
General Debate Concluded With Vote Today or Mon- day in the House
 Now Probable
By Assoclated Press

Washington. March l7.-A differ ence of opinion was voiced 5y repub- lican leaders in the House today over the size of the army during considera- ton of the army appropriation bill. No sooner had Chairman Kahn of tho military affairs committee express ed opposition co any reduction in the enlisted or official strength than Representative Mondell, republican leader, declared he approved the ac- tion of the subcommittee which framed the bill in providing that by July 1 the enlisted personnel of the regular army must be cut to llo,ooV men and the number of officers de- creased to 11,o0o.
 General debate was concluded late today and indications were that the house would reach a vote tomorrow or Monday on the sections of the bill relating to the size of the army.
 With party lines disregarded to a certain extent the House membership appeared to be divided into three main groups-one determined to stand by the committee recommendations' another preparing to recommend an army of 100 900 while the third was llnlnE up III SuppoIN ol Nho wei Ne partment which requested pay all lowance sufficient to maintain 1S0,- 900 men and 13000 officers during the coming fiscal year.
 Democrats for Small Army
 Republican members were said to be represented in all three camps while most of the democrats were expected by their leaders to join the small army" forces, representative .( cratic members of the subcommittee in charge of the bill having announce ed he would offer an amendment to reduce the number of enlisted men to 100, 000
 During his address to the House Mir. Kahn took the position it would be false economy" to order too dras- tic a cut in the army's size. He re- minded his colleagues that republi- cans and democrats alike during tho early stages of the war had stood be- hind a democratic president in an at tempt to build up an efficient fighting machine. The "splendid example" set then. he addes aould be a'1esson' to the appropriations committee which, he contended, in reporting the army appropriation bill had disre- garded the expressed wishes of the administration relative to enlisted and officer personnel.
 The Californian read a letter from Secretary Hughes in which objection was voiced 10 withdrawal of all regu- lar army troops stationed in China. as proposed in the bill.
 No Sacrifice of Efficiency
 MT. Mondell, declaring that the subcommittee which drafted the bill had not gone too far in providing pay for no more than 115.000 men and f1.0oo officers, said he was convince | efficiency would not be sacrificed that the force would be sufficient for all peace time purposes and that it could be quickly expanded into an efficient fighting organization in case of emergency.
 MT. Kahn had the support of Repre- sentative Greene of Vermont, a re- publican of the military affairs com mittee and also a member of the re- publican steering committee, who protested particularly against the proposed reduction in the officer strength and Representative DalIin- ger, republican, Massachusetts, who expressed opposition to the committee recommendations
 During the debate. Representative Harrison, of Virginia. democratic member of the subcommittee of five which drafted the bill declared that Secretary Weeks after insisting a few weeks ago on an army of 10000 men. was now showing a willingness to accept reduction that would bring the enlisted personnel down to 13O,- 900, slightly below the present strength.