New-York tribune., 1922-03-30
House Passes
BilICivingArny
288 Millions
Measure Adopted Withou.
Roll Call Provides for
Reduction of Force to
lis, 1000 Men by July |
PershingWarns of Danger
Chief of Staff Says 100000
Men. 1000 Officers Need
of Nation at Present Time

WASHINGTON. March Without
roll call the House to-day passed the
army appropriation bill. carrying ap-
proxmately $2SS, 100000 to meet mill
tary and military expenses Of the
War Department during the coming
fiscal year
AS sent to the Senate the measure
provides that by July the enlisted
strength of the regular army must be
reduced to 115.000 men, exclusive of
1000 Philippine scouts, and the mum
Der of officers decreased to 11,0OO,
The principal changes made in the
bill by the House were the elimination
Of provision that all troops stationed
in China and part of those on duty
IN Hawaii, the Panama Canal zone and
on the Rhine should be returned to
the United States by July i, and the
adoption of an amendment increasing
by $4,000, 600 the amount carried as a
lump sum toward continuation of work
during the coming fiscal year on vari-
Gus river and harbor projects.
Harbors Amendment Stands
Just prior to passage of the bill Rep
resentative Blanton, Democrat, Texas.
demanded another vote on the amend
ment increasing the rivers and harhors
item which was adopted Monday with
out roll call by 1873 to 81 vote. The
House, acting on the demand. decided
by a vote of 172 to rs to retain in the
bill the amendment which increased
from 27635,26 to $42,815,6 ,66l the
amount provided for various improve
ments.
A second vote also was demanded on
three amendments which increased Ma
tlonal Guard appropriations, but the
three items remained in the bill by
safe margins. One amendment in
creased from S9.000.000 to 1900 600
the army drill pay allowance for ma
tional guardsmen. Another increased
by 100000 the $SO0,000 provision for
the care of National Guard animals,
while the third removed a restriction
carried in the bill that none of the
money was to be used in caring for
more than 1000 horses and mules.
AS framed the bill carried $270,353,-
600, approximately $1l6,00O,000 less
than the amount appropriated for War
Department activities during the cur
rent fiscal year and reduction of
nearly S88000 900 from Budget Bureau
estimates House amendments added
about $l8000,000 to the total
Pershing Sees Harm in Bill
Stating the army's case in opposition
tc further reductions in its enlisted
and commissioned strength before
Washington newspaper men gathered at
the National Press Club tonight. Gen
ersl Pershing, Chief of Staff, and Ma
lor General Harbord, Deputy Chief of
Staff, jointly declared their belief that
the bill passed to-day by the House
would work serious injury TO the ma
tion's military police and undermine
the best SYSTEM for preparedness the
nation ever had.
Further reductions would be disas-
trous,' General Pershing declared. add
ing~that such reductions would "intro-
duce an unwarranted element of danger
in our plan of national defense'
General Harbord asserted that the
country Travelled in a vicious circle
of unpreparadness and postwar econ
omy." Both officers asserted that 150,-
600 men and 10000 officers were abso-
lutely essential TO the nation s needs at
this time.