The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-09-15
PREPARATION IS
GOING FORWARD
For Strengthening Our
National Defenses
DESPITE FREQUENT CRITICISM
Ideas Of BEST Minds" In
War and Navy Bureaus
Are Sought.
WHAT J. II. HAMMOND THINKS

Washington, Sept. 10.-President
Wilson has made public letters he
wrote to Secretaries Garrison and
Daniels last month asking them to
formulate for him definite programs
for strengthening the national de-
lenses in order that he might make
recommendation to Congress in his
next annual message.
The President told the two Secre-
taries he wanted them to confer with
the best-informed experts of their
departments and Submit plans forpa-
ulated in very definite terms. Wheth-
er the entire program could be pro-
posed to Congress Immediately, he
said, would have to be determined
after further study.
In accordance with this request
Secretaries Garrison and Daniels
have been at work on their reports
for more than a month, and now
have them practically completed.
They will soon be submitted to the
President and then he will discuss
them with the Chairman of the Mil
itary and Naval Affairs Committees
of Congress.
The letter to Secretary Daniels
follows:
II have been giving, as | am sure
you have also, great deal Of
thought to the matter of a wise and
adequate naval program, to be pro-
posed to Congress at its next session,
and l would like to discuss the
whole subject with you at the earl
lest possible date.
"But first We must have profess
sional advice. would be very much
obliged If you would get the best
minds in the department to work on
the subject; | mean the men who
have been most directly in contact
with actual modern conditions, who
have most thoroughly comprehended
the altered conditions of naval war
fare, and who best comprehend what
the navy must be in the future in
order to stand upon an equality with
the most efficient and most practi-
cally serviceable. | want their adj
vice. a program by them formulated
in the most definite terms. Whether
we can reasonably propose the whole
of II 10 tho CnnOracs In, m cd atalv mr.
not, We can determine when we have
studied it. The important thing now
is to know and know fully what We
need. Congress will certainly well
come such advice and follow it to
the limit of its opportunity.
ut should be a program planned
for consistent and progressive de-
velopment of this great defensive
arm OF the nation and should be of
such kind as to commend itself to
every patriotic and practical man"
In the letter to Secretary Garrison
the President wrote:
Il have been giving scarcely less
Ahoubhl IMAM YOU gOuIStll nave W
the question of adequate preparation
for national defense, and | am anX-
ious. as you know. TO incorporate in
my next message to Congress a pro-
gram regarding the development
and equipment of the army and
proper training of our citizens to
arms which. while in every way con-
sistent with our traditions and our
national policy, will be of such
character as TO commend itself to
every patriotic and practical mind.
IL know that you have been much
in conference with your professional
associates in the department and
that you have yourself come TO some
very definite conclusions on these ex-
ceedingly important matters. /
would be very much obliged II you
would be kind enough to prepare for
me program. with estimates OF
what you and the best-informed SOL