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Show CUTTING DOWN ARMY AND NAVY. Noiing that war budgets are being cut down, the Chicago News congr?t-ulates congr?t-ulates the Republicans in congress on their resolve to prevent a large standing stand-ing army or a great navy. The News says Chairman Kahn of tho house committee on military affairs announces an-nounces that the war department's depart-ment's request for a regular army of 509,000 for the next year has not been approved and that the military appropriations bill baa been changed to pro ide for an army of 400,000 He estimate that the committee will effect a saing of between $200,000,000 and $400,000,000 by modifications of this important measure. As one of the principal chain pions of national preparedness Chairman Kahn will not be suspected sus-pected of a desire to weaken any essential elemtn of our national defense. Hp asserts specifically that the changes will in no respect re-spect hamper or weaken our military mili-tary forces. Nor is there any attempt at-tempt in the bill either as presented pre-sented or reported Lp define a permanent per-manent national military policy. This important aspect of national defense will not bo lakon up for several months by the committee, according to the chairman. Com-ittee Com-ittee action is, therefore, simply I an effort to apph the principle of ecenomy to a measure of temporary tempo-rary character without compro mislng the general object to be attained. at-tained. When a permanent military policy pol-icy is decided upon it should limit the nation's standing army to 100,000 or possibly 150,000 men. The nation requires no greater force provided it establishes the invaluable safeguard of universal military training. Voluntary enlistment en-listment for a large army is a demonstrated dem-onstrated failure and conscrip tion In time of peace would be intolerable. in-tolerable. A late dispatch from Washington reports that the secretary sec-retary of war has arranged to spend $185,000 in advertising for volunteers for army service during the present month. This is but one minor phase of the enormous waste that necessarily comes witl a large standing army. The burdened taxpayers of the nation are entitled to early relief from the present situation and they are looking to the Republican majority in the house and the senate to furnish that relief. The program of the party leaders with respect to both the military and naval appropriations is promising promis-ing and application of the samp principle of economy should bo made wherever possible. The question of federal taxation has become a very personal matter to the people as a whole, and easygoing easy-going tolerance of enormous expenditures ex-penditures due to wasteful policies is not likely much longer to continue. con-tinue. ( 1 |