New Britain herald., 1925-01-02
WAR DEPT. WANTS ARMY UNCHANGED Bill Provides for 12,O0O Officers,
 125,OOO Men OVER 3S1 MILLION ASKED
Of This Amount, s2 Million Is For
 Non- Military Activities Contains
 Request For Money For Muscle Shoals Development Work.

Washington, Jan. 2.-Maintenance of the regular army during the con- ing fiscal year at it's present author ized strength of 12,00O commissioned officers and 25,000 enlisted men, ex- elusive of 5000 Philippine scouts, is proposed in the war department ap- propriation bill reported today to the house,
 AS approved by the appropriations committee the measure, drafted by a subcommittee headed by Repre- sentative Anthony, republican, Kan sas, carries $331,131,114. or s6,552,- 900 less than the amount available for expenditure this year and about s300,000 less than budget estimates.
 Of the total s25S,317,95S is for military and $72,S13,156 for non- military activities.
 Included in the alIotments is a sP, P,00O,000 lump sum appropriation fol improvements to rivers and har- bors-the total proposed by the budget bureau for expenditure dur ing the fiscal year beginning next July. but an increase of s2,G57,000 over the amount carried in last years bill.
 Muscle Shoals The bill also carries S3,040,000 as recommended by the budget for the completion of Dam No. at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This together with s3.501.200 included in a deficiency estimate recently submitted, the committee report said, will complete the dam and the eight power units For the army air service, s14,700,- 000 or the full amount recommend ed by the budget is carried. In addi- tion S2,150,000 is provided for con- tract authorization, which the report pointed out makes the total available for the air service approximately s2,70O,000 more than for the present year.
 For New Planes Of the appropriations S4,400, GOO is for the purchase of new airplanes and this plus the contract authoriza- ton gives total Of $6,550,000 foi new planes, or about s2,900,000 more than available for the current year
 About 26S new airplanes, the major portion of which will be used in training schools, the report es. timated, could be procured with this appropriation.
 "The department Is proceeding or the theory" it was added, that the most important thing to the ail service Is training of personnel and Is therefore devoting a considerable par tof its funds to the purchase ot primary types of airplanes whict can be used with safety for train, ing purposes"
 Bombing Tests. An appropriation of S50,000 i: recommended for bombing test! against obsolete vessels.
 Previous tests of this nature" tht report said, have been held agains anchored vessels and the ability O an airplane to sink a battleship ha' been fully demonstrated Bombing { moving vessel, however, presented z dlficult problem and the committed feels that experiments of this nature would be well worth while" { For seacpast defense. the bill car ries $2,S13,S15, a reduction of SEA-, GOO under the amount of the curren year and S539.o0o les than requested hy the budget, A part of thi amount is to be available for tn, construction on the Pacific coast O q firing position for 14-inch rail road gun battery, and the construc ton of 16-inch battery for defcns' of fine Panama Canal.
 1 Provision is h1se made for con tinuing construction of carriages al ready started at the canal for 1f inch guns and anti-atrcraft guns. 7nc 1 for the production of ammunition I.3t F-y al. Il