Evening star., 1932-05-10
House Military Committee
Plans Closed Session on
Army SIaShes.
Determined TO BLOCK
PARED APPROPRIATIONS
Chief of Staff Vigorously Protests
Reduction in 0fics
Personnel.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Determined to block large slasrles In
Army appropriations, the House Mill
tary Committee today invited Secre-
tary Hurley to testify behind closed
doors on the pending War Department
supply bill.
Gen. Douglas Macarthur. Army chief
Of staff, was hurriedly summoned by
the committee to testify In secret ses-
sion regarding proposed slashes in Army
personnel.
Macarthur, who filed q vigorous pro-
test yesterday with Representative Smell,
the Republican leader, against the pro-
posal to reduce the number of officers
from $4,000 to 10000, was called on
motion of Representative James, Re
publican, of Michigan, former chairman
Of the committee.
While the Military Committee han
dies all legislation regarding the Army,
funds for carrying on military activities
must be provided by the powerful Ap-
preparations Committee.
Chairman McSwain said Macarthur
would discuss not only the cut pro-
posed in commissioned strength, but also
tAAC AC(Ou4i1iCAdC0 SQSRCAlSkOu O1 ClL1-
zens military training camps and Re-
serve officers training camps ftF the
next fiscal year.
The War Department appreciation
bill was slated for consideration In the
House today.
Gen. Macarthur, yesterday fiass op-
posed congressional plans for reducing
the Armys officer strength by 1000.
In letter written to Representa-
tive Smell of New York, the House Re-
publican leader, Macarthur said such a
reduction "would bring us close to pros
tration" and complained that he had
not been given opportunity to express
the Army's views before the Appropria-
tions Committee reported the War De-
partment bill containing the curtail-
ment plan.
Fears for Security.
The reduction, he said, would bring
about condition not conducive to the
promotion Of feeling of security at
home nor to enhancing the respect
with which our pacific counsels are re-
ceived abroad"
Gen. MacArthur's letter follows, In
part:
"The War Department views with
| the utmost concern the proposal in the
Army appropriation bill to reduce per-
manently by more than Is per cent the
number Of Regular Army oficers. =
Commissioned personnel of the citi-
zen components supplement the corps
Of regulars, so that, as the numerically
preponderant mass Of the officers in an
emergency army. they may function
promptly and effectively. But their ef-
forts would be wasted without the eff
cient guidance Of their mentor-the
regular officer.
$50 in the last analysis our whole
defensive system rests upon the efi-
cient performance of a corps of regu-
lar officers, sufficient in strength to
carry out the vitality essential duties
imposed upon 1t by the act Of 1920. In
the interests of economy the strength of
the professional force was fixed at the
minimum considered by Congress In
1920 to be consistent with safety
namely. $4,000 officers and 285,o0O en-
listed men. During the last decade this
strength has been progressively de-
creased until today 1t stand at approxi-
mately $4,000 officers and 125, 900 men,
With a vivid realization OF the need
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