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Show KH OUTLINES Provisions of Department's Bill Would Cost U. S. $900,000,000 Yearly. WASHINGTON, Aug. 7. The permanent perma-nent military policy recommended by the "war department, involving, under revised estimates, a. standing peace army of 570,000 and universal military training for youths of 19 years old, would cost the country $900,000,000 annually. General Gen-eral Peyton C. March, chief of staff, today told the senate military subcommittee, , considering army legislation. I GenernI March will appear again tomor- j row. Secretary Baker will present his 1 views to the committee next week, and General Pershing and other experts later. I 0 the ?900.000,000 which the program j woifld cost. General March said, $798,- j 600,000 would be required for the upkeep ; of the proposed standing army, while 1 three months' intensive training for 19- ! year-old youths would cost $94,066,500 annually, an-nually, lie estimated the per capita cost for this training at $144.75. The chief of staff asserted .that the present time was most appropriate for inauguration of a system of military training, inasmuch as military camps were in readiness over the country and also the necessary equipment.' He said that when universal military training first was considered by a committee of the general staff nine months' training was recommended, but this later was reduced re-duced to seven. In the belief that a form of training should be adopted that would create the least disturbance to the body politic, the training period, upon his recommendation, rec-ommendation, he said, was reduced finally to three months. General March said that youths subject to military training under the bill would not be subject to service in case of a declaration of war without further legislation legis-lation by congress. He also said it was proposed to provide three distinct training train-ing periods of three months each in order not to disturb industrial and educational conditions any more than necessary. The war department bill, General March said, contemplates twenty-one divisions of regulars. Three of these divisions, or about 18,000 men, would be stationed in outlying possessions, while eighteen divisions, or about 372,000, would bo used in camps throughout the country coun-try for the purpose of training men under the universal military service plan.. |