The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-12
II PARTIES TO CONFER
m DEFENSE PROGRAM
xezidcnt VIII Not R4y On Dem
0cants Alone to Provide for Coun-
try's Protection.
PARTY MAJORITY is SMALL
VIM Not Attempt To Make Army aud
~ Nav Bills Party Measures ar to
s- mind Democrats by Caucus Action.

|Ass.~~
Washington. Nov. ll.--White House
Nifc,ass announced today that Presi-
d&ng Wilson viii invite the Republi-
can leaders OF Congress 70 confer
with him on the Administrators ma
kicnRi defense program. The an
nouncement Indicates the President
II intention 70 seek their support TX =
said the President may net attempt Ia
have Democratic caucus bind ire
Democrat members go the SUpport
aof the Admin xtrat!on measures.
"A Political leaders see IN the Pgcsi-
.6erts decision eyt aeuCe Il his de-
terHninaiion 10 eet about Immediately
anfcsidinr against enabavyas sme0ts ca
his program resulting from the BRYAN
agitation and the opposition ~ Rep
resentafive k.tcHiu. IF North Car
U1fna, the next majority header, and
O1her Democrats VINO have indicated
thas they viii not support the Al
Ainistra ton. Already friends Of Nr
nRs an have made quiet tnvestsE4-
ton &c the attitude of the Dem
ccfats In the House OF the national
.fefe1se issue and are convinced that
the opposition 70 the Admin strat!ou
will be able II muster from twenty
to thirty votes The opposition. there
fore, will he In an exceedingly strong
position should The President consider
an attempt 70 make the army and
navy bsfle party measures. Their
ers In their ability TO throw the Con-
troi OF the national situation into the
hands Of the Republicans
Apart from this il IS pointed out
that II the Bryan little navy advocates
succeeded In lining up the number Of
Votes indicated they Will have COM
pleteiy wiped out the Dem ocratlc
House ma iortty which was so depleted
In the congressional elections Of l#i3
and 1915 that il row mum hers mere
twenty five votes
MOI Bid for Republican support.
Friends Of the President indicated
today tina, they disIiked to have his
plan for comforting with the Repub-
fican leaders referred 20 as bid for
Republican support for his program
They declared that Mr Wilson is bat
following "a practice that he put into
operation when the currency leg7sla r
ton was pending. hfIt everybody here
knows that these former conferences
with Republicans were merely a mat
Ter OF form There IS no doubt now
thar the thought uppermost in the
president's mind Is the obtaining of
votes TO offset the Democratic losses
1t is anticipated that the President
will have practically no difficulty In
securing Republican support for
larger rational defense measures. In
al much as the members of the
minority party regard the nationa
DEFENSE movement Just az much thef'
own as 1t is n movement of the Dem
oeratic party. IT is not SO certain
though that Republicans, II they
Mold the balance of power may mo-
force the acceptance Of some detaitl
OF their own making. IT is asserted
eosfAAeHtls hv national defense propa
Fandistas that q bigger army and nav,
program will be passed by Congress
1ss majority Of both parties inciud
ing Coodly number OF Progressives
.antis" Are In Minority.
The opponents or the program hav
no deitIsions on this score. Repre-
sentative Kitchin. who has announced
gram. has said repeatedly that h,
realizes he is in n minority in IN
House. Some OF the opponents. how
ever profess to believe that re-
action or public sentiment ami pf tn
sentiment If members Of Congress
NAV eventuate before the final vote
on the defense measures. Those VIII
ftl6 10 this view predict that dis
cuSsion Of the taxation problem
(which grew out of the national de
fanse program may serve IN alicnat
{ some OF the support now given to tn
Presidents plans The high per
centage of taxes which will go TO Nh
support of the army and navy afte
\ the adoption or the Administration
program, i. IN said, has not fully beer
u rea Iized by the people generally, bu
1 II Is certain that q big feature Of th'
Y agitation against the program will b.
! q discussion of the taxation problem
d The ranking minority member q
4 the House Committee on Military AT
fairs Is Representative Kahn OF Call
fornia. and Representative Butler. o
u Isennsvlyania who comes from
4 Quaker community. Is the rankins
Republican member of the commit
tee on naval affairs.
In the Senate. Senator Dupont ant
Senator Penrdse are ranking Repub
1icans on the Committee on Miitar7
.and Naval Affairs. respectively T. j.
N4aken for granted that these men vii
be among those whom the Presideu
will invite TO the White House, y j
1 expected also that Representative
Mann, OF Illinois. minority leader o
the House. VIII DE called into con
fNrence hy the President