New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-16
Committees Plan to Re.
duce Personnel Turned
Down by Harding's
Plea for Equality at Sea
Shows His Strength
With Law Makers
kAdditional Cost of Organ.
,,s'.zation Is Estimated as
High as 100000, 900;
Experts Are Criticized
By Carter, Field

tives to-day acceded 10 President
Earding's appeal that the personnel Of
,he navy be not cut below what he re-
ssrded as the minimum Of national
safety. As il stands with the adoption
OF the Ware amendment increasing the
number Of men, and the Macarthur
amendment approprating the money,
the bill now provides for $4,000 men.
One hundred and thirty rembers
voted against the President, ignoring
his argument that the $1,000 men as
proposed in the bill reported by Chair.
man Kelley would reduce the American
ratio far below the 5--5-5 fixed BY
.he arms conference for the United
Ssates, Great Britain and Japan.
Although the Senate is not on record
on the navy personnel question. it ia
generally believed it Will favor the
5000 provision.
To-day's vote is regarded as the
ntst sweeping victory President Hard
!rg has obtained in bis efforts to
modify legislation since he came into
Tie White House. IT was very ap-
parent, according to many shrewd
Rouse leaders, that at the beginning
Of the week the committee cut to $1,000
nsn was supported by majority in
the House. The urgent appeals first of
Secretary Of the Navy Denby and later
ay Secretary of State Hughes had not
st.nmed the tide of economy.
Most of the fire of the small navy
men was not concentrated on Presi-
dent Harding's idea of maintaining
iae agreed ratio of American sea
power, but on the accuracy of Navy
Impairment estimates in general.
Cites Blunder of Experts
Most Of the speakers on that side
tots the position that the so-called
naval experts had been proved wrong
MhsHouse on SO many occasions that
svs waste of time TO pay much
slls,.ion 10 them. Chairman Madden,
d the Appropriations Committee, al
rost cspsized the Administration cause
2yan Illustration of how une Navy De-
asartment had demanded .s12,500,000 for
;afl, claiming that the ships would be
csd up st the docks if they did not get
u and, some time after the House had
pared the appropriation down to $685.
t0o admitted that the department had
made mistake in its calculations, and
should only have asked for S7.70o,000.
Underlying most Of the attack by
the little navy men was the idea that
The real purpose CT the Navy Depart
nent and the men from the coast states
vas to maintain the navy yards and
Keep large numbers of enlisted men
IN them. It was also charged freely
mat the Navy Department wanted to
keep more men on the ships than the
British navy had kept on similar ships
during the war.
Both Parties Split
The division of the House on the vote
split the Republican and Democratic
SIDES almost equally. II was reached at
exactly o'clock after a long delay
OF debate and after the committees
b osltion had been summed up in q final
.peech by Representative Patrick Kel-
ley, of Michigan, chairman of the sub
committee in charge of the bill. He
concluded amid a loud clamor for the
test from all sides, and cries of vote,
vote After viva voce vote, in which
the yeas and nays were almost equal
N volume, Mr.. Ware asked for a teller's
ount, ard he and My. Kelley stood at
Inc head Of the center aisle and counted
'ae members as they passed between
them.
The result vrss greeted with noisy
demonstration by the big navy men,
Fho stood and cheered for several
minutes. Representatives Macarthur,
parrow, of Penn sylvania, and Gallivan,
o. Massachusetts,, with linked arms
formed the dancing center of joyful
demoustrstion.
Mr.. Kelley announced that he will
EEK roll call on the amendment when
'he measure IS taken out of the com
nlttee Of the whole and comes up for
maj action by the House.
Estimates Of the money increase
called for BY raising the size of the
navy to $4,000 range from s45,0o0,ooo
10 $50 0,oO0, 900.
Mr. Kelley took the floor at 5:25 to
sepen the last speech OF the measure
s.re sSsIore the vote on the size of the en-
nsted personnel.
we have deliberated on the bill for
a.ssss' and the most severe criticism
=. ge me committee has been, apparently,
,. .a' II has not been willing to accept
s soYice OF the Navy Department as
ss.sssehted by the officers who appeared
,sn sVfe the committee. 1 have this to
'ss 'or the committee: We have been
fCoptinued IN n,cs thr~)