Show Plan to Strengthen Orn lU Land and Sea Defenses Largest Appropriation for Army and Navy Ever Pro Pro- Proposed Proposed Proposed posed in Time of Peace Given Congressional Congressional Congressional Consideration By WILLIAM C UTLEY A of at approximately approximately approximately A l for Cor mil expansion on land on the sea and In the air Is going through the mill of ot legisla legIsla- legIslation legislation legislation tion In congress It Is Js the largest larget time pt time peace ace appropriation of Its kInd ever er attempted by the United States Officials In Washington have hn taken particular pains to emphasize the tact fact that all an of ot the proposed addi additions Ions are strictly of a defensive e na- na nature na nature ture Included In the program are large additions to and replacements for tor army fighting equipment naval replacements re re- replacements re replacements placements and auxiliaries and and- and what Is regarded ns as most Important of ot all an at least by the Japanese au and other the Orientals Orientals the projection of AmerIcas AmerIca's western frontier 2000 miles out Into the Pacific ocean I The worlds world's lar largest est air base as the Japanese press has been pleased to phrase It would consist of a achain achain achain chain of ot air base bases stretching In a gigantic sweeping curve from Alas Alas- Alaska Alaska Alas ka ka through the Hawaiian allan Islands to the Panama Canal Zone ThIs would In military affect make malte the Pacific coast const the secondary western vestern line itna of ot defense and would create of the northeastern Pacific a great In in land sea The plans have ha been In inthe Inthe the making for tor more than a year and are claimed by o to have hn no relation whatever er to Japans Japan's re re- recent recent recent cent abrogation of ot the naval treaty Key KeI to the whole project will be bean bean bean an air base at Hawaii supplemented by a large naval base The Tha entire new frontier will of ot courso course require considerable added 1 I man power and equipment to op- op opI operate operate op operate erate Tho rho army's share shara of ot the approprIation appropriation would be as proposed by Gen Douglas MacAr- MacAr MacArthur MacAr thur chief of ot staff The budget budet of the navy would be Increased to i 1347 exclusive of or the 18 the allotted to It for tor new v warships The latter amount Is still largely unused Use Uso Merchant Marine Marino Besides this President Roosevelt has conceived n a huge subsIdization ot of the tha United States merchant ma ma- marine marine rine which would permit modernization tion and strengthening of at shIps aton along basic plans of the tM navy ThIs would make It possible for the shIps to otter olTer a maximum amount of at use use- usefulness as auxiliary naval equip equip- equipment equipment equipment ment In do time of ot war His Ills plan also Includes gradual replacement of ot auxiliary naval vessels with con conn construction construction of ot 30 vessels during the next ot two years at a cost of at about IW The Th present personnel of ot the army Includes approximately m men n The expansion program would Increase this by at least third one one thIrd and would add 2320 planes to the air service President Roosevelt would be given tho the power of aug aug- augmenting the personnel with a limit ot of Tho The army's budget budet would be Increased by tho the budget only a short time a ago o was stepped up more moro than OGO XO U The expansion requires an amount about double the average e appropriation to the War depart department ment meat for military purposes A As Indicated In a series of ot meet meet- meetings logs ings Inc of ot the military affairs commIt commIt- committee too commit tee teo of at tho lire house bouse of or representatives e the army's would be spent nt somewhat o along these lines New New and Improved munitions sup sup- suP suP- suPplies supplies supplies plies and purchase of reserves 4 45 air corps expansion as per rec- recommended rec recommended by bI the report of the Baker aker board last year anti aircraft equipment coast const defenses mechanIzation mechanization of army units Sl and procurement ment of ot new v types de de- developed developed de developed since the World war 18 lS Housing the army would take a generous slice of the total air corps construction 1 army quarters and barracks SO- SO SO National Guard camps 6 0 0 and automotive equIpment I I According to General MacArthur I army equipment Is In a deplorable i state The Tho boys bors are still drilling with 1003 1903 Springfield rifles rines he says lie He urged that pursuit bombIng HO observation train train- trainIng training ing and 65 cargo planes be secured for tor defensive purposes and asked that be set sot aside for tor modern arms and mechanism MechanIzed Equipment This amount would equip only one regIment with medium weight tanks one with light tanks a mechanized brigade of cavalry a battery of or field artillery seven troops with armored cars and seven Infantry companies with light tanks This force torce would require the acquisition of 28 light II weight light weight tanks medium tanks 48 armored cars 44 combat cars 33 scout cars and 70 76 track half trucks All these would be armed with 30 and 50 GO caliber machine guns Increases In the National Guard I personnel from to would require and an nd- nd additional ad additional a n year for main maintenance Pay clothing and the necessities of ot life lite for tor additional om- om cers and men would take 2000 j Not Included In t this ls outlay Is which will go to the tho for tor the tho next year tile the admin admin- administration persisting In Its declara declara- declaration declaration declaration tion that the camps are In no way military ventures Asked If It It would not be more advisable to double the standing army than to double the ceo personnel General MacArthur replied Yes the tho arguments are In- In InvIncIble In Invincible It costs you ou less by a third for a soldier than a ceo boy the tho training Is Just as ns good and you are arc insuring the future of ot your countr country Long-held Long ambitions of ot the air service may be realized with ex- ex expansIons expansions ex expansions which would give the United States by far the most pow pow- powerful erful aviation force torce In the world The proposals which were wera suggested by the Baker committee In Its re- re report report re report port on the tho army air corps last July have the full tull backing of or the tho Federal Aviation commission Projections outlined would moro more than double the air strength of ot the army By 1911 lOa the United States would boast airplanes a force Corce much stronger than any which ex- ex exIsts exists ex exists In the world at the tho present mo mo- mo- mo moment moment moment ment Present strength of or the army aIr corps Is about 1497 planes Under Underlie the expansion pro program am this would be be Increased to 2320 by 1038 The navy today has hns Uil planes and would Increase this to 1910 1010 by lOtI 1911 America Not Behind The aviation commission reported that America Is not seriously behInd other nations In the air ads Its report saId While we are ore laggard neither td Id numbers of ot aircraft nor In their gen gen- genera gen gen- general general era eral quality at the present time we might easily become so It If we ton fall to accept the these e lessons of or the current policies of or other powers This hardly agrees with the charge of Brig Gen Gea William f E Mitchell former chief of the army air corps before the patents committee of ot the house of at representatives The fiery general said the United States dId not lIa have ve a single airplane suitable for engaging In warfare a against a class first class power lie H also let loose a tirade against the manufacturers manufacturer aircraft association which has hns con con- control control control of ot most of or the aeronautic pat pat- patents patents patents declaring that an nn aIrplane could be made for 1000 It If It were not for this monopoly Said the Baker report In gen gen- gen gen- general general eral aviation the United States Stats lends leads the world It Is superior In com com- commercial commercial mercial aviation Its naval 31 aviation is 13 stronger stroner than any other power and with more financial support It its army aviation t can be raise raised to a world position equal to that held by our navy The Federal Aviation commission was all aU In favor of or the expansion Nothing short of or a radical change In the International situa situation tion should be allowed to Interfere with the completion of or this pro pro- program program program gram or with the making of the necessary necessary essary appropriations to carry It out said It Its report Aviation Plans Military aviation a plans In this country and and frequently In others others- others have always s 's been hampered by two directly opposed schools of or thought These have ht been deplored by the Baker Bakr board which held that re re- re recriminations re recriminations criminations and Individualistic pub pub- pub lie Hc announcements have ha destroyed ed harmony and operation co-operation One of these schools tee feels Is that the next war will be fought In the theair theair theair air to employ a phrase that has become hackneyed by frequent repe- repe repetition repetition repe In the last few v years The faction supported most roost hy by General Mitchell In America con con- con D Lik L h 4 J I Ie e W IW Conter Y C enter GIant Guns of the tho U S 3 S 3 IndIanapolis left Left inch 12 Railway Mortar RIght Gen Douglas MacArthur tends that the air forces should be completely separated from Crom land orsea or orca sea ca forces General Mitchell when In office went so 50 far as to secure the aviators special pay and dif dIt- dif dif- different different ferent uniforms According to his views a good air force torce could wipe out all aU surface vessels of or the sea sen with dispatch and could reduce I armies by overwhelming o numbers because of ot the suddenness of ot their j attack I The Tha other school contends that the air force forca Is only a part of the general military program of ot defense and this school seems to find Gen Gen- General General eral MacArthur on Its side Ide I This faction of ot course cours would ex expand pond and foster roster tho the air service keepIng Its speed and at atI I least on a par with that of the forces of ot other nations but It de de- de declares clares that since the planes depend upon ground forces for tor supply and support they should be regarded only as extremely valuable auxilIarIes auxiliaries to the fighting forces fores of or the theland theland theland land which In reality take occupy and hold territory Till Important discussion has hns I caused congress for many years tot toI to tobe tobe I be exceedingly wary In the matter ot of appropriations of at money for tor aerial expansion I Indeed the aIr corps has hns at times been able to keep a n decent pace only by bI effect effecting ing transfers of personnel from oth oth- other oth- oth other other er branches of at the army these transfers generally having been Ac Co it Accomplished through the efforts of General MacArthur ra Arthur To the house military affairs com committee General MacArthur calmly j asserted that unless the army's pro pro i posed expansion 1 legisla Lion Uon be passed the United States I would without doubt be the tho loser In the next war ware Co C o Western N w p T r Ual |