Book Reviews and Notices : The Purse and the Sword. By ELIAS HUZAR. (Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 1950. Pp. xiv, 417. $4.50.)
| Date | 01 March 1951 |
| Author | Joseph P. Harris |
| DOI | 10.1177/106591295100400143 |
| Published date | 01 March 1951 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
165
The
Purse
and
the
Sword.
By
ELIAS
HUZAR.
(Ithaca:
Cornell
University
Press.
1950.
Pp.
xiv,
417.
$4.50.)
This
study
is
concerned
with
the
control
of
Congress
over
military
appropriations.
The
author
has
made
an
intensive
study
of
the
work
of
the
House
and
Senate
appropriations
committees
over
a
seventeen-year
period
(1933
to
1950).
The
study
is
based
upon
a
careful
review
and
analysis
of
the
printed
hearings,
reports,
and
debates,
and
of
interviews
with
members
of
Congress
and
federal
officials.
It
goes
without
saying
that
the
subject
of
legislative
control
of
the
military
budget
is
of
the
greatest
importance.
After
World
War
II,
the
military
budget
ran
about
fifteen
billion
dollars
annually.
Following
the
outbreak
of
hostilities
in
Korea,
however,
it
jumped
from
fifteen
to
fifty
billion
dollars
or
more
annually;
and
there
is
at
present
little
prospect
in
the
near
future
for
a
reduction
to
something
near
the
previous
level.
How
does
Congress
pass
upon
the
military
budget
of
such
stag-
gering
size?
Are
the
present
organization
and
methods
suitable
to
the
task?
Do
they
provide
Congress
and
the
country
with
an
adequate
review
of
military
plans,
programs,
and
administration,
in
which
the
military
re-
quirements
are
considered
in
the
light
of
our
foreign
policy,
the
com-
peting
needs
for
other
governmental
services,
and
the
available
funds
and
economic
trends?
The
Appropriations
committees
of
the
House
and
the
Senate
have
concentrated
their
attention
largely
on
the
details
of
the
military
budgets,
searching
for
places
where
cuts
may
be
made.
Because
of
the
division
of
functions
within
Congress,
a
broad
review
of
the
military
budget
is
difficulty
to
achieve.
Legislation
dealing
with
military
policies
is
passed
upon
by
the
Armed
Services
committees
of
each
house.
Our
foreign
pol-
icies,
which
necessarily
determine
military
requirements,
are
passed
upon
by
still
another
set
of
committees.
Consequently,
the
Appropriations
committees
are
necessarily
limited
in
their
jurisdiction,
and
operate
within
a
framework
of
policies
which
are
the
concern
of
other
committees.
By
necessity,
as
well
as
by
habit,
they
give
most
of
their
attention
to
econo-
mies
that
may
be
achieved
and
to
the
quality
of
administration,
cutting
a
little
here
and
a
little
there,
but
making
little
or
no
attempt
to
consider
the
broader
aspects
of
the
military
program.
The
central
thesis
of
the
author
is
that
the
committees
should
set
for
themselves
a
higher
and
more
important
role,
and
should
consider
the
military
policies,
missions,
and
programs
rather
than
confine
themselves
to
such
details
as
the
num-
ber
of
bands
allowed
to
the
Army,
the
number
of
messengers
in
the
Pentagon,
and
similar
items.
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