Evening star., 1940-07-09
Compulsory Training
Opponents Will Give
Views 10 Senate
Presentation Of Army's
Stond to Wait Action
On Knox and Stimson
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The Senate Military Affairs Com
mittee decided today to postpone
calling military experts to testify
on the Burke-Wadsworth military
training bill, and hear instead from
witnesses opposing the idea of COM
pulsory service.
Testimony from Army and Navy
representatives was to have started
today but the committee voted to
defer 1t until final Senate action on
the nomination of Henry L. Slim
son and Frank Knox to head the
War and Navy Departments.
Chairman Sheppard said witnesses
in opposition to the bill, which pro-
poses registration of all males from
l8 to IS, would appear tomorrow.
Reliable sources said that when
the Armys representatives ap-
peared they would approve the prin-
ciple of compulsory military train
ing, disagreeing only with details set
out in the bill under consideration.
House Hearings Planned.
Leaders of various organizations
which advocate civilian training
were on the witness list of a House
committee considering the measure
One point on which Army officials
were said to disagree with the
Burke Wadsworth bill was the $5-
a-month pay rate it fixes for men
selected for training. The high
command was reported favoring in
stead the present $21 basic pay of
Army privates.
Representatives of % colleges and
universities voted unanimously at
New York yesterday to support this
bill, and also asked extension OF
reserve training units to colleges
which do not have them.
The White House said today that
President Roosevelt might submit
to Congress tomorrow his proposed
additional S5 200 ,000, 900 defense pro-
gram designed to provide more
equipment and munitions for the
Army and to speed the Navy's ship
building program. Stephen Early,
press secretary, said he did not
think the President intended to de-
liver his message on the subject in
person.
Admiral Silent on Shift.
Naval affairs took large share
of attention yesterday with un-
heralded arrival here of Admiral J
O. Richardson, commander of the
fleet, and Senate committee action
on the House approved 'two-ocean"
Navy bill.
Admiral Richardson, who made a
secret 5,500-mile trip from Hawaii
to report to President Roosevelt. said
merely that he had discussed "rou-
tine fleet matters" at the White
House.
Admiral Richardson professed no
knowledge of any pending shift of
the fleet from its present base in
mid-Pacif1c, but this did not stop
conjecture that the routine mat
tiers" might have included a discus
sion on this subject.
The Senate Naval Committee
urged enactment of the 1900 ,O00, ,00O
"two-ocean" Navy bill in a formal
report which said the Nations sea
power must be ready and stronger
than potential aggressors.
ITO be second best is not only
an invitation to war, but to utter
disaster" it added.
Senate leaders said they hoped to
get the bill through before Thurs
| days recess for the Democratic
National Convention at Chicago.
In addition to conferences with
defense chieftains yesterday, Mr.
Roosevelt met during the day with
Secretary Morgenthau and Treasury
tax experts, and with Sidney Hill
man of the Defense Commission.
Secretary Morgenthau told a press
conference later that there had
been no decision to ask new taxes tc
help finance the new defense spend
| ing.
The only taxes we are working
on at present are the excess profits
taxes" he said.
Mr.. Hillman, it was said, discussed
housing problems arising from ex-
pansion of manufacturing plants
for defense purposes.
In reporting the naval expansion
bill, the Senate committee said that
"the possibilities confronting the
nations of the world today, including
| those of the Western Hemisphere
are of most serious nature
Our present Navy, including the
vessels and planes now authorized
may be inadequate to meet success
fully possible, or even probable, in
ternational situations which may
occur in the near future" the report
continued.
The committee are of the opinion
that we should face the fact that
we may have to defend ourselves In
both oceans at the same time"