Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04
SURVEY FOR ARMY COST CUT
IS STARTED BY GENERAL STAFF
Records Show Increase of Present Fiscal
Year Due Chiefly to Housing and
Air Expansion.

population; British Empire, S74,993 iex-
Guiding the air force) or rs soldier to
every thousand population: France, S.
676, 945, or $40; Italy, 3,342 1886, or 7.54;
600, or 4.l6. Germany foots the list
with an army and reserve strength OF
! 100000, or .16 thousand.
Must Offer Career.
Our Army costs cannot be compared
Army men asset, with those of coun-
tries that maintain fighting forces
through CONSUMPTION. The japanese
soldier, for instance, draws only a few
cents a day, and the same is true
of the soldiers of Russia, Italy, France
and many other countries. There are
several armies where the cost of the
ration exceeds the pay. In the United
States, the Army is recruited from vol
unteers, and the War Department has
to go out in the open labor market, and
compete with private industry. 1t must
offer prospective soldiers something
comparable to what they might expect
In civil life, and If no soldier gets rich
OH MS pay and allowances, the Army
nevertheless does offer an enlisted man
a fair career, with retired pay after a
certain number of years service.
The Government clothes, feeds and
houses the soldier, and pays him $2l
a month to start. Later that amount
may increase as the soldier is pro-
noted to a commissioned grade
and as he gets the benefit of longevity
increases. Pay of the Army runs to
about SIPS, 100000 a year. The In
terdepartment Pay Board has recently
recommended an increase in the average
pay OF officers Of A per cent and an
increase IN the average pay of enlisted
men of rs per cent.
Equipment, too, costs more here than
In other countries. The War Depart
ment boys from American factories
and has to pay standard American
prices. 1t cannot get equipment for
the Army that is made in plants where,
for example, the low wage scales of the
Orient apply. The American Army pays
more for its ammunition, its clothing,
its housing. etc, than the fighting
establishments of most other countries
| Comparisons with the British army are
not altogether fair, for in India the
British government maintains large
native forces and these are not paid
as much as white British soldiers. The
difference reflects itself in the per capita
cost of the army of the British Empire.
Purchase More Protection.
While it is true that the Army costs
little more than it did 20 years ago,
even when the lowered purchasing
power Of the dollar is considered, the
fact remains, military men say, that
We get a great deal more protection for
our money. The Army today is the
training school for the civilian COM
the bulk Of any big force we would
| put into the field The Army helps
train the National Guard, now at the
highest level Of efficiency in its history;
the Citizens Military Training Corps,
with $4,000 or more boys in camp each
year; the Organized Reserves, with a
commissioned strength of over 100000,
and the Reserve Officers' Training
| Corps units in several hundred schools
and colleges. For the first time in our
history We have a real military policy
in peace, framework upon which in
a few months We could organize an
army of 10000 men.
The Regular Army is the backbone
OF the military system OF the country
and provides the professors and in
structorS of our national university of
military science. 1t is not possible to
say how much better protected we are
than We were is years ago with
Regular Army of about 100000 men,
with 5000 regular officers and a militia
that could not compare with the eff
cient National Guard of today. 1t is
safe to say. however, that we have 100
per cent better protection, and that
means, OF course, that we are getting
much more for our money than we did
before the war
Aviation has added an extra burden
to the cost of the military establish
ment, but the cost of Army aviation
hA all oh %
defense, for Army aviators, like their
colleagues in the Navy, have materially
helped the cause of civil and CONNER
cial aviation and their achievements
and the stimulus the national defense
flyers have given to aviation have
helped to build up our aeronautical in
dustry and speeded the extension Of our
civil airways.
Public Demands Air Corps.
The current appropriations for the
Army Air Service amount to little
over $50, 900, 900, as compared with the
100000 that was appropriated for
Army air activities in 1916, the dawn
of the air age. In voting to expand the
Army and Navy Air Services over
five-year period Congress has merely
acted in response to public opinion, and
the present administration, it is safe
to say, with its broad interests in
aviation, Is not going to cause mater
rial slowing down in the development
of the flying branches of the national
defense.
Army housing is another new ex-
penSe. Ever since the war the War
Department has been without funds to
build new barracks, and has hardly had
any money to keep those it already had
in repair. Among others, John w. w.
Weeks and Dwight F. Davis, two former
Secretaries of War, called attention to
the great need for Army housing. Mr..
Davis, in his report, said 1t was one of
the greatest problems that faced the
Army, for poor housing was undermin-
ing the morale of the enlisted personnel.
In 1925 Congress passed bill au-
thorizing the Secretary Of War to dis
pose of 43 military reservations, and
authorized him also to use the net pro-
ceeds from these sales for new perma-
nent construction at military posts.
Congress then approved an extensive
Army housing program, to provide for
the replacement Of temporary buildings
constructed during the war, many Of
which have since been used to provide
shelter for troops. The program covers
period of about 10 years and involves
total expenditure of approximately
$148 ,000, 900. Since the beginning of
IIlc housing pIOBEaHH All 1870 SUITE @oO,~
000, 900 worth Of construction has been
authorized.
Cavalary Already Reduced.
The Cavalry is one branch of the
service upon which the lightning has
already fallen. Last year the Cavalry
was completely reorganized. from top
to bottom, and it was reorganized Sd
that 1t could take advantage Of ney
weapons such as machine guns and
new vehicles, such as motor cars and
cross country trucks. Fire power was
greatly increased, though the personnel
WAS reduced. 50 much reduced in fact