Evening star., 1936-01-12
FIGHT FORESEEN
OVER ARMY BILL
House Group Seems Bent
on Bigger Force, Despite
Presidents Views.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY


A fight between Congress and the
administration over building up the
Army was foreseen last night when
the $443. .699, sos War Department ap-
preparation bill comes up for consider
alton. Hearings will be completed this
week on the bill before the subcom-
mittee headed by Representative Til
man 3. Parks Of Arkansas. It will be
ready for consideration in the House
after several other appropriation bills
have been worked through.
When the House passed the current
appropriation bill 1t carried provision
for increasing the enlisted force from
ll8,750 to $4,000 "in the discretion
of the President" The Senate promptly
cut out any reference to presidential
discretion and the bill was passed.
When the budget was sent in for the
bill now being drafted for the fiscal
year 1887 it provided that the enlisted
personnel could not exceed l47,00O. At
present the enlisted force Is less than
lac, 1000.
The military budget Of S375, OPS $40
includes s23.S27, ,306 in excess of cur
rent appropriations. The biggest in
crease in the bill is $16,6l6, 500 for the
procurement of new and modern air
planes. There is also an increase of
$2,360,698 for the National Guard.
sl,124,348 for ordnance, 81, ,430,5 ,564 for
building barracks and quarters at
~
defenses.
Budget Hit BY Many.
Generally speaking those in Con-
gress who are well informed on mill
tary preparedness are expressing dis
satisfaction with the pending budget.
Briefly stated. Congress wants to build
up a larger Army and the administra-
tion seems determined to hold it down.
Hearings are nearly completed on
the military section OF the bill. There
remain to be heard such civil COM
ponents as the Reserve Officers Train
ing Corps, the Citizens Military
Training Corps. the National Rife
Matches and the Organized Reserve.
The bill will carry S6,383 ,286 for
automatic increases in pay and al
lowances of military personnel pro-
vided for under the promotion act of
July 81, 1885.
1t includes also pay of 2S.250 addi-
tional enlisted men on a full year S
basis in 1887 who were recruited dur
ing the current fiscal year, for Is
additional nurses and for an increase
of SO Air Corps officers on flying duty.
Academy Fund Boosted.
The increase of cadets at the United
States Military Academy from 1874
to $50, authorized by act of June q,
1885, resulted in an increase of S734,-
848 for pay and allowances of cadets
and civilian employees and mainte-
nance and operation of the academy.
There is also an increase of S43l,-
600 for purchase of land adjacent to
the academy to protect and augment
the water supply.
Some Of the most glaring needs of
the military establishment are sum-
married. by Chairman Parks in a re-
port released last night. The hous-
ing in which the Engineers are quar-
tered at the post of Corozal, Panama
Canal, is a positive disgrace" says Mr..
Parks, "aud should be replaced at the
earliest practicable moment" He also
emphasizes that France and Albrook
fields on the Canal should be COM
pleted and rehabilitated. France
Field has Jared badly in comparison
with the naval air station Immediately
adjoining, he points out.
Sea coast defenses in California
should be strengthened without unnec-
essary delay, the subcommittee be-
lieves. The strategic areas are not
adequately protected by long-range
sea coast guns or anti-aircraft guns,
the committee found, and concluded
that relief should be afforded through
definite program to be launched
upon Immediately and pushed to COM
pletion" The War Department has
composed a consolidated priority list
for sea-coast defenses in the United
States. OF the first 40 items, "a are
on the Pacific Coast. The total cost
of completing these Pacific Coast
projects has been estimated at S15,-
100000.
In Hawaii the greatest priority need
in the committees judgment is COM
pletion of the ammunition storage
project, now about half completed. at
an estimated cost Of 81, 500 900,