The Washington herald., 1922-04-16
Personnel of $4,000 Men
Approved After Five
Hour Debate.
MEANS s14,5OO,OOO
ADDED EXPENSE
Denunciation of Navy Of.
ficials by Rep. Kelley
Fails of Purpose.

Big navy" forces were victorious
late yesterday in the House wher
the Lower Branch Of Congress ap-
proved a naval strength OF Sc. .oeO
men for the next fiscal year
Little navy members. standing
for a cut TO $1,000 men. were de-
feated by a vote Of ~ to $50.
The vote came after nearly q
week Of dramatic debates such N
have been rarely witnessed in the
House in recent years
The refusal OF the House TO cut
the navy to $1,000 men will mean
at least an additional expenditure
OF fl4.5oo.OOO. this amount being
provided in the amendment Of Rep
resentative Macarthur. Oregon.
HardInE's Letter Factor.
President Harding. fl is admitted.
aided in giving the big navy" men
their large majority Of ~ votes hv
writing a letter in which he camo
out fatty for a navy Of Sc. 600 men
This action was taken in the face
Of the stand OF Republican House
leaders for the reduction TO s7.Oor
men. as provided in the bill ap-
proved by the House Appropriations
Committee.
At present the naval strength is
slightly in excess OF 100000 men.
The debate ccntered about the
question Of an adequate personnel
10 maintain the navy with regard
to the 5-5-3 ratio with Great Brst-
ain and Japan as provided by the
arms conference. The Navy De-
partment and President Harding in
sisted $4,000 was the minimum NUN
Der to keep Americas ratio from
dropping below five. The 'Tittrr
navy forces asserted $1,000 Was
adequate for America to maintain
her position.
Debate Lasts Nearly Five Hsurs.
For nearly FIVE hours yestcrds,
afternoon the big and little navy
FORCES pitted their most forcefuI
orators against each other.
Leading the fight for the redur-
tion to 5000 men were Republican
Leader Mondell. Chairman EsII,-
Michigan. Of the Naval subcommittsr
on appropriations and Chairmsa
Madden Of the Appropriations Con,
mittee on the Republican side ar,I
Representative Bryne for the Demo
cratic.
Directing the appeal for biEre-
navy on the grounds that il was
| necessary to maintain the 5-5-s
ratio were Macarthur. Oregon: Long
worth. Ohio: Ware. PennsylvanIr
and Kahn. California. Republicans.
and Padgett Tennessee. Democrat.
| Tor eight years chairman Of the
House Naval Affairs Committee.
Party Lines Cast Aside.
Party lines were cast aside in ,bs
vote. which was by teI1ers A rec
ord vote may be taken In the Hons.
| later. but IL is generally admitted
the result will not he changed
Kelley made a powerful spcc,h
| for the smaller navy a. the end
OF the debate. attacking sharp-v
the arguments OF his opponent.
that $1,000 men would not hr
enough to properly man America
I eighteen battleships. as provided hv
/ the arms conference
The House cheered him 70 a rrE-
when he inishN and then vote.
against him.
Kelley Scathinrly denounced o.
ficials of tho Navy Department ar~
declared that in drafting the naval
I hill. the subcommittee on sprrr-
priations had been unable 20 rr,~
on the information given nv naval
cfticials.
Kelley Denouse~s Cssnts.
Referring to Admiral Coonty
Chief of Naval Operations. Kelley
/ said:
No man ought 70 be military
head Of the navy who would an
pear before two committees Of Con
EreSs in the same month as Cor~tv
4 did and give such widely varyinE
opinions on basic naval matters
Kelley charged that fear Of los
ing their jobs was behind tn.
frantic plea" OF navy officials for
$4,000 men.
we are leaving the oficer per
sonnel where it is." Kelley said.
but the Navy Department wants
ss.V0o men so ~ can keep 200 eNtrS
destroyers In commission. There
are 1900 officers on those destroy
ers. II they were laid up the Navy
Department is wondering where q
can ind a place for the ofhcers"
Republican Leader Mondell. urr-
ing the $1,000 personnel. declared
that voting a larger navy would
make the arms conference treaty a