The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-06-06

For instance, " operates n brew
cry In Panama, maintains 300 In.
fantrymen In Tientsin, leases bis
tros In Colon, maintains series
OF retail stores In Panama where
you can buy anything from Fifth
avenue suspendcrs TO South Afri-
can diamonds, takes care OF the
dredging OF every river, creek End
bay worth name on the map,
In fact, for about 20 OF the 20
years since the World War, the
Army has been Just Oh busy with
routine affairs and just as nom
chalant about its own improve
ment and modernizatlon as the
rest OF the American public.
And II the Army rs behind the
times today--Which IL iB---the fault
must be borne not by any one
President, but partly by q public
which did not want O big army,
and partly by the generals who
did not concentrate the money
they had on improving the two
most powerful branches Of riili-
tary defense, aviation and mech
anization.
PRIMA DONNA GENERALS
In this latter respect, the gen.
erals were Just rs much asleep
aS the rest OF tho country. Vor
during the seven years between
1888 and 1910, they spent only i,5
per cent OF their congressional
appropriation on research and de-
Velopment. BY and large, the
horse cavalry and the foot-Gol-
diers were good enough for them.
Although II Is Congress which
has the final vote regarding
Army funds, II IN the generals
who submit estimates 10 Con-
gress, and seldom does Congress
change these materially. An Item
may be scaled down here, or
boosted there; but for the most
part the generals get what they
ask for.
And the inside fact Is that II
The Chief OF Cavalry sees the
Chief OF Infantry asking for more
money, then he immediately wants
more money too, and the Chief
OF Field Artillery says he needs
more also, and the Chief OF The
Coast Artillery puts his hand out
and so on down the line. 1t Is
a merry scramble, with no rhyme
or reason about the way The
money Is spent TO modernize the
Army.
HOOVER AGREES WITH FDR
AS far as actual appropriations
go, both Hoover and Roosevelt
tried TO curtail Army costs, and
the first four years under Roose-
welt saw the Army given $1,217,-
100000, a little less than the ST.
3i8,000,000 voted the Army during
the four years OF Hoover. But
as Roosevelt saw the European war
clouds gathering. he jumped Army
appropriations sharply.
In 1896, the Army budget was
jumped S1OO,OOO,0O0 70 $685.
100000. Then after gradual In
creases, II hit S460,00O.0 In 1889,
and after the Munich surrender,
shot 10 S923, 0OO, 900 In 1890. This
latter appropriation was voted
before war broke last Septem-
Der.
One thing upon which Hoover
and Roosevelt both agreed was
the abolition OF the political"
forts stationed In the interior
United States during Indian days,
and now virtually valueless. Yet
neither President has been cble
to move them.
FIRST CAVALRY
WOULDN'T MOVE
For instance. Fort d. A. RUS
sell at Maria, Texas, was ordered
officially abolished by Hoover IN
May, 1881. The First Cavalry
then stationed there was ordered
TO Fort Knox, KY, where 1t vas
TO be put into armored cars and
made a permanent mechanical
unit.
Al this was officially an
n0unced by Hoover and the War
Department. However, they
reck0ned without Senator Shep-
pard Of Texas. Senator Shep-
pard not only Is author Of che
Prohibition Amendment. but
also was then ranking member
NJ khe senate MILITARY Affairs