New-York tribune., 1922-02-08
President Halls Gon-lruc-
ton on arships To BE
Strapped; House Plans
Personnel Slash TODAY
Work Also Stopped
On Pacific FORTS
Measures to Ease Blow
for NAVY Officer, y ho
Lose Place, a Problem

fror' 1i.r yribirc VotAil'. .op B---rr
WASHINGTON. Feb W.T.
the armament conference adjourned
active preparations for carrying ou'
the international agreement Of
naval reductions were begun to-dar
by both the Executive and Congros-.
President Harding ha~ ordered ir
mediate suspension Of WORK on shins
to be scrapped ui.lei the fvc-rowc7
naval treaty and the actual plan for
shrinking the navy to almost haif
its present size. with as little hard
ship. especially to officer and men.
as possible were initiated by the lav
makers.
Rough estimates today Of thc.iw-
mediate effect upon the taxpaycrs'
pocket, through the next naval ar-
preparation bin alorc. arc that a
least s2oo,ooo.o0o viii be Topped os
IN single lump SUM from the
budget bureaus skeleton estimate of
$425, ,O00 600
Forts Save Moro Millions
Additional millions are fo b. ~od
by the dscontinuancc of for'sfcat,o-4
work at Guam. tine Philippine. and
ether Pacific islands. winch also Ia
been ordered by the President Ths
replacement Of old batteries al Ca.stt
and Guam has been stopped hv cabi.
and considerable number o. m.ao.
now en- route 70 those islauds have heo-
recalled. Secretary Of War Noei. li.
the money appropriate Ter n~f,ns~,
~ the phiNppiats wcald .s,o.s
Fck INTO the Treasury. but faet pr.--
en- fortifications would bo Ven, ,
'usab!e shape. Twelve niro i-'ch roaet
oetense guns nov on their wav to tic
philippines in the army tr.irsno,s
" heaton viii not be landed
1t was made clear at the Na-fe
House IN connection with the ,.afe-
ment, that the Pre- idenf had orierod
suspension of construction Of navy ves.
scis, but that the nuai order for di.
continuance would nor b, made n.tH
the treaty actually had bccn ratified
ne first formal committee acSsio,
IN Congress on the reorqanizatisu .5
TIE navy will be hold to-morroM BIZ tro
tu!l House Naval Affairs Committee
which wlll lay plans for Immediate CO.
operation with the Anpronriai on.
committee. Togethcr they expect within,
the next month 10 complete the draf.
al the plans which viii govern the
sharp reductions of officer. enlisted
men. navy yard and othes 'aad naya'
forces and all the Other elements II
a.
Gut in Pc -sonnel an Issue
The sentiment for carrying o.. go
the last letter the spirit o. the con
fercnce' shows Il little moro i.iical
strain in Congress than at the Whita
House This IS reflected IN tho cs,i
mates on 10 what figure ;he commits
sioned and enlisted personnel shoui4
be cut The feeling on Capitol H..
among the two naval committee a~c
members generally is said 10 hc for
reducing to an enlisted personnel OF
$4,000 or less with the 1 per cent pro
portion OF commissioned officers r1ed
by law. while the President is known
to favor IA less drastic cut TO about
80, 900
In either case howovcr. the SAVING
in the appropriation bills viii be tre
mendous The estimate for The rcx-
fiscal year from the budget bureau.
which is now before the House. calls
for about S425. 900 600. Of which $50
100000 Is for constructions This LAT
ter item, OF course, will automaticsllv
come out. and in addition It is est
mated that another $4,000 600 Will hA
Topped off salaries, maintenance. and
other costs.
The greatest concern in the hcavy
navy reductions is to alleviate tte
hardships to the thousands Of com
missioneI men who have been in the
navy for yeas and who have counted
upon it as a profession and laid their
life plans accordingly. The blow which
the program viii mean to them mus,
be cascd as much is humanity pos
sible, say those in Congress charged
with this responsibility.
Officers to Total 5000
There are to-day in the line and or
the staff approximately 400 commits
stoned officers. There are about 100
reserve officers on active service to
whom the discharge viii not be a ser.
Gus matter. But, with the graduatior
this summer of the class of about $50
midshipmen at the Naval Academy. TIE
total commissioned personnel VII be
about 5000.
Should the strength of the navy he
fixed at $4,000. as is said to be probable
if the present temper of Congress cor
tinues, the number of officers must be
cut to 2.400. drop of $500, and even
should the enlisted strength be some
what larger. the cut in commissions
will be only slightly less drastic
Those who are giving thought to the
problem of taking care of these officers
generally favor proposal understood
to be strongly backed by the Nava,
Committee. for establishing an inactive
list and removing all restrictions
against civil pur>lits. Those who have
served thirty years or more. including
the period Of study at the academy.
would, under the scheme. be retired
at three-fourths pay while those in
the service for thirty years would be
furlougted at one half pay. The sep
arations from the service would be
made effective July l, 1928, giving the
men eighteen months to prepare to
return to civil liFe.
The classes now at the Naval Acad-
emy would be graduated and only
small proportion commissioned. Tbs