Evening star., 1936-09-14
FRIENDS Of ARMY
DUE To GET POSTS
Likely Successors Of Me-
Swain and Parks Advo-
Gates of Preparedness.
ny WILL p. KENNEDY.

man Of the House Military Affairs
Committee, Representative McSwair
Of South Carolina, removed by death
the chairman of the War Department
Subcommittee on Appropriations, Rep
resentative Parks of Arkansas, re-
tiring-and war clouds lowering over
| Europe?
Whoever may be chairmen, and
however these committees may be re.
organized, the Army has scant ground
to worry over adequate preparedness
The remaining nucleus Of the com.
mittees Is composed Of strong Army
men.
There Is much speculation regard
ing who will become chairman of the
Army Appropriations Subcommittee
with Parks and Thomas L. Blanton
of Texas. who ranked next in senior
ity, both gone. Next in line Is Rep
resentative Mcmillan Of South Caro-
lina-but the old order changeth, be-
cause the Appropriations Committee
one of the most important Of all the
major committees, already has been
hard hit even before the election by
deaths, retirement and primary de-
feats.
| Ten Members Missing.
Nine Oliver, Alabama
Sandlin, Louisiana; Parks and Blan-
ton; Granfleld, Massachusetts,; Jacob
sen, Iowa; Zioncheck, Washington
and Moran, Maine-will be missing,
as well as the late Representative
Buckbee, Republican, of Illinois.
Ranking next in order after McMil-
Ian are Representatives Snyder OF
Pennsylvania and Dockweiler Of Cali
fornia. Any one of these three may
be elevated to the post by Chairman
Committee.
Mcmillan acted as chairman Of the
subcommittee which drafted the
State, Justice, Commerce and Labor
appropriation bill in the last session,
and he Is eligible to take over that
craftsmanship. The post was vacated
by the withdrawal Of the veteran Rep
resentative Oliver Of Alabama.
Representative Snyder, next in line,
already is chairman Of the Legisla-
tive Subcommittee, while Representa-
tive Dockweiler has no subcommittee
craftsmanship. Whatever readjust-
ments are made, the latter will get q
Craftsmanship in the coming Congress
He may even get charge of the Army
appropriation bill especially If Califor-
mia sends a strong Democratic delega-
ton and demands that he be given
recognition, during the give-and-take
dickering in reorganization Of the
House.
McMillan's Election Certain.
Mcmillan had no primary opposi-
ton and is as good as elected. If
Snyder and Dockweiler should lose
out In the general election, Mcmillan
probably would be assigned to the War
Department Subcommittee chairman
ship. irrespective of his preference,
because he would be the only Demo-
crat left on this subcommittee-the
other two members, Representatives
Bolton, Ohio, and Powers, New Jersey
being Republicans.
II Mcmillan should elect to take
the Craftsmanship Of the State, JUS
tice, Commerce and Labor Subcom-
mittee. Snyder may choose to retain
his present legislative subcommittee
post. This would leave the field clear
for Dockweiler to be chairman of the
War Department Subcommittee. Or.
as between Snyder and Dockweiler. it
| ir h1n t,A c{1 ~
State delegations in the House may
control the selection.
AL three Of these Representatives
are strong Army supporters and gave
/ full cooperation in the preparation
of last years bill, which was the
largest since the World War. All
made inspection trips last Summer to
Army posts in Panama. along the
West Coast, and in Hawaii, and their
speeches and subsequent actions
stamp them as strong national de-
tense advocates.
Program to Be Continued.
So it would seem assured that Con-
gress, under their leadership and adj
vice, will continue its program for
the Army. Conspicuous on this pro-
gram is seacoast defense projects, just
started under q five-year program.
with the first increment of about
So, SOC, 900 last year on q $4,000, 900
project. The mechanization and mo.
torization three-year programs are
working along. and there is no pros
pect of q change in the enlisted
strength-now placed at 165.000 men.
Appropriations must be made to take
care Of the first so officers to be given
permanent places from the Reserve
officers list. Congress has authorized
1000 Of these Reseryists be taken in
temporarily for one year and that SO
of these be selected for permanent
commissions. The first SO are eligible
on July /.
What will be done about the Air
Corps program Is considered serious
problem. The Rogers bill provides
for 1000 planes. The question Is
whether Congress will 60 along on .
program looking toward realization OF
that number, or whether it will hold
down to the 2.320 recommended by
the Drum Board Of the Army. The
trouble, observers say, is that Con-
gress passed the Rogers bill without
careful consideration Of the tremen-
dous expense involved-that no con-
sideration was given to the cost Of the
planes, cost Of providing hangers or
the training and maintenance OF an
ADEQUATE force of aviation men.
Regarding the vacant chairmanship
on the House Military Affairs Com
mittee, it seems assured that Repre-
sentative Hill of Alabama will take
the job. He has a big military estab-
lishment in his home State, and those
who have followed military legisla-
ton say that he has been consistently
for adequate national defense and
supported all efforts in that direction.
141 in Alabama Assembly.