Evening star., 1939-10-22
Congress Expected
To Vote 7 Billions
For u. ). Defense
Roosevelt Is Tokine
Personal Leadership
In Drafting Program
By JOHN C. HENRY.


A national defense program sur
passing anything ever attempted by
this country in its years of peace is
being forecast here as congressional
and departmental officials prepare
budget estimates for submission to
Congress in January.
Privately, it Is predicted that a
sympathetic Congress will vote de-
fense appropriations of all cate
gories approximating $4,000 900 900,
as compared to the $l,645 ,34l ,0l5
approved this year. In addition,
authorizations are expected to
equal or exceed the $9l7 ,565 500 ap-
proved In nine separate bills last
session.
Consistent advocate of adequate"
defense machinery, President
Roosevelt has been taking personal
leadership in drafting next winters
program through frequent confer
ences with the departmental and
congressional officers Immediately
concerned. Several times in recent
weeks Chairman May of the House
Military Affairs Committee and
Chairman Vinson of the House
Naval Affairs Committee have
visited the White House. Chairman
Taylor of the House Appropriations
Committee likewise has conferred
with the President, while Secretary
of War Woodring, Assistant Sec
retary johnson and Acting Sec
retary of Navy Edison have had
places on the White House appoint
ment list more often than any other
cabinet officials.
Details Are Not Revealed.
None has been communicative
with the press in any detail, but all
have admitted that national de-
tense needs and these which are to
be dealt with next winter have been
the subjects of their frequent dis
cuSsions.
Mr.. Roosevelt himself has dis
closed no specific intention at his
press conferences, but has made sew
eral significant remarks about ma
tional defense needs: one, that we
must have completely adequate
Navy; another, that reports of in
creaSing the Regular Army and Ma
tional Guard personnel to total of
100000 men are approximately
correct
This total. it is reported, would be
composed of 100000 Regular Army
men and 100000 National Guards
men. Expansion of these units to
227 900 and 235,000, respectively, was
authorized only during the last few
months.
Deficiency Bills First.
Almost certainly. the initial re-
quest on Congress will be for quick
passage of deficiency appropriation
bills to cover the increased overhead
defense costs incurred with the COM
missioning of a fleet of laid-up de-
stroyers for Atlantic patrol duty. and
with authorized increases in Army,
Navy and Marine personnel. 1nclud-
ed are not only the overhead items
Of feeding, clothing and paying the
new recruits, but also the cost of
constructing new Army and Navy
housing and hospital facilities.
In the latter connection, the Pres
ident disclosed about two weeks ago
that he had sanctioned temporary
disregard of statutory obstacles to
overspending for housing and hos
pital equipment in the opinion that
Congress would give retroactive ap-
proval when it convenes in January.
Quite probably, there will be early
and considerable pressure for the
speeding up of assorted programs
authorized last session, for some of
which no funds have yet been ap-
propriated and for most of which
several years of gradual application
were contemplated. New authorize
tions. of couse. would call for addi-
tional appropriations.
How 1t Looks on Books.
In recapitulation, the following
1889 authorizations are now on the
books:
Army Air Corps expansion, $780,
600, 900; educational ordnance orders,
$34, 100000; Panama defenses, S23,-
10000; training civilian pilots.
$33,675,0O0; military reservations,
$5,0O0,0OO; strategic materials pur-
chases, $1O2, 600, 900: naval air bases,
$65, ,OO0,O 900; aeronautical laboratory,
81 300 900; naval public works, $780,
180,5O0; modernization of subma-
rines, $500, 900; modernlzation of
battleships, $9,160,000; construction
of third Set of locks at Panama
Canal, 1927 100000. Total, s917,-
565,5OO.
Initial appropriations for some of
these were included in the regular
Army and Navy supply bills last
year, for others funds were supplied
in deficiency bills. The actual ap-
preparations follow:
Army supply bill, $5O8, ,789 1924;
supplemental military appropriation
bill. $223, 1893 ,O47; Army provisions in
second deficiency bill, s7l.600, ,743;
Navy supply bill, $773, ,049,151; Navy
deficiency bills, $37,357.7 .75O; national
defense deficiency DILL, $3l,145 900.
Total, $1,645, ,341,0l5.
In addition, there were included
IN the appropriation measures direct
authorization for the letting of $780,
100000 in additional contracts.
One year previous. defense appro-
priations totaled 81 ,006, ,267 900.
" l.