Evening star., 1933-04-18
Believed to Be Motive. Behind
$54, 900, 600 War De-
partment Cut.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
WOULD BE IN CONTROL
Branches of Agriculture. end Com
r,crc. Would Be Included .
in Shift.

One major motive DehAnd IN" Ga-
minist-ation's proposed CT o. $4,000
900 from the War Departments 1884
non-military appropriations is to weed
out its non-essential activities and
transfer the remainder to the proposed
Interior Departments public construc-
ton division, ranking Democrats mdi-
Gated today. Thus, when President
Roosevelt's public works program to
ease unemployment is placed in opera
ton, it could be administered by one
department.
The proposed new set-up of the con-
struction division Of the Interior De-
partment is likely to include the rivers
and harbo-s work now being aomln-
istered by the Engineer Corps OF the
Army, the Agriculture Department
Bureaus of Public Roads and Forests:
Commerce Departments Bureau OF
Mines, Interior Departments Bureau OF
Reclamation and its national PARK serV-
ice, and the, Treasury Department ar
chitects Office.
Would Give Wide Powers.
Should this plan be adopted, it would
give Secretary of the Interior 1ckes dl-
rect supervision over practically the
major portion of the Presidents pro-
posed public works program-roads,
rivers and harbers. reclamation, mining
rehabilitation, forests and public build
ings
Democrats declared that in all prob
ability a final decision on the plan will
be reached Immediately by President
Roosevelt after a conference with his
advisers.
Although the s54,O0O,OO slash will
cut the rivers and harbors work Tor
1894 to a minimum, it was pointed out
this work is slated to play an important
part in Mr.. Roosevelt's public works
program, which is to be financed out
of a long termed Federal bond issue.
Secretary of War Dern, in discussing
!he proposed rivers and harbors slash,
admitted the transfer of this activity to
the Interior Department was being con-
sidered seriously.
Plan SI44, 4,0o0, 200 Cut.
He said the administration plans to
reduce entire Army appropriation TOR
1884 by Sl44, 100000, of which $9O,-
900, 900, as forecast in The Star Sunday,
would come direct from the military
branch of the department. The gen.
eral reduction is about two-flfths OF the
total appropriated in the last Congress
for the coming fiscal year.
The amount appropriated was S349,-
840,749 Even that was more than
s10O, 900 900 under the sum provided
for expenditures during the current
year. For all purposes, military, rivers
and harbors improvement and the Pam
anna Canal, the 1888 appropriation
reached the collosal total OF S467,-
458, 900.
Dern called at the White House late
yesterday and upon leaving he pointed
out to newspaper men how the admin
istration proposes to save $50 900, 600
by curtailing military activities as fol-
lows:
Curtailment of all branches of the
militia, as outlined in The Star Sun
day, including withdrawal of supper.
from the r. o. T. c., one year sus-
pension Of National Guard emergency
officers and citizens military training
camps, and reduction of the Guard pay
drill periods by so per cent.
Would Dismiss Officers.
Dismissal of 1000 to 5000 commits
stoned officers.
Dismissal of 10000 to $4,000 enlisted
men.
Curtailment Of field equipment and
reserve supplies.
I'VE can make the reduction all
right, if it must be made" Secretary
Dern said, but there are questions OF
policy on making the cut where the
least damage will be done"
The War Department said today the
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