West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-10-28
NATIONAL DEFENSE PROGRAM
CALLS FOR BILLION DOLLARS
President Wilson Will Outline the
Plans IN Address at New York
Next Month-Vast Som Will be
Used for Period Covering Six
Years

| b'NN"pa' HOahS al expenditure OH the
army and navy of upwards OF a bill
lion dollars in the next six years. will
| be laid before the people by President
| Wilson. November 4, when he goes 10
New York TO make his first public ad-
dress since the scope OF the policy
upon which his administration has
embarked became known He will
speak before the Manhattan club of
New York on national defense and
the conditions which have impelled
him to approve plans To about double
the navy and quadruple the trained
hghting forces within the next few
years.
with the estimates OF the war and
navy departments submitted for the
coming year the breadth Of the admin
istration's policy as TO preparedness is
being realized. 1t shapes up I'm to-
tails as follows:
Navy-For new ships and increased
personnel in five years, $500 ,OOO. 900.
Army-For reserve material (arms
and ammunition) within four years
sos, ,OO0. 900.
For new coast defenses and moderi
cation of old forts within four years
$sl .OOO, 900.
For the new continental army and
the proposed increase in the regular
army $26,000.000. (This amount
probably will be a continuing and ~
anything appropriation through the
hrst six year period, which would
make the total expenditure at that
time $156,OOO,OOO.)
The grand total expenditure thus ac-
tually planned would be $s42. .OOO. 900
According to plans laid out by ex-
perts OF the navy and war depart-
ments these expenditures would pro
duce by 1925 first line OF dread
naughts and battle cruisers number
ing 43; feet OF coast defense sub-
marines that would fringe the Allan
tic and Pacific coasts with an almost
solid line of interior defense against
attack; a feet OF nearly It's destroy
ers and squadrons OF huge sea going
heet submarines to operate with the
battle squadrons at great distance
from shore
FOR the army, there would be at the
end OF six years a trained force of
100000 men, including a regular
army OF 100000 composed OF CONT
mental army and reserves; a ring of
iully manned coast defenses, equip
ped with the largest and most power
ful guns yet built, and vast reserve
OF Held guns, machine guns, howit-
zers and big gun ammunition.
In addition, the enormously increas-
ed capacity OF private munition plants
would give assurances OF ample sun-
plies of small arms and field gun am
munition.
definite step toward enlarging the
navy was taken today, when contracts
were awarded for % OF the fighting
craft authorized by the last Congress
They are six big cruiser destroyers
30 knot boats each, to carry II tor
pedo tubes. four 4-inch guns. and two
3-inch anti-aircraft guns and 16 coast
defense guns, each displacing more
than 300 tons and each equipped with
3-inch disappearing rife for surface
hghting. The day set a new record
Tor the department Ia the number Of
contracts awarded.
Neither war nor army department
estimates for the coming year have
been made public as yet in detail. II
was learned today. however, that of
the S72.000000 increase over last
years bill to be asked by the war de-
partment $46.0OO.OOO would go toward
reserve material and coast defense
works. regular and continental Part
OF this $46.OOO.OOO would 20 into
building and arming the new fort
which will guard the entrance 10 ches-
apeake bay
IL n proposed TO spend more OF the
money in building new forts TO guard
New York, San Francisco and other
great harbors from attack. Gigantic
l6-inch rifles will be mounted in ALI
these defenses Of the first class. where
enemy craft with modern guns wouId
be dangerous from great distances.
Another expenditure contemplated
Is for fitting the present ~ and 14-incb
rifles with carriages that will give
them greater range Much already
has been accomplished in that way
and the wprk win be- carried on untu
every fort is modernized. No 16-incb
rifles will be installed In place OF
smaller guns. however II is said. be-
cause to make all the changes I'm mag
azines. hOists, machinery and the like
would be more eERensi, Ind less sat
isfactory than to build new emplace-
ments for these huge weapons.
The navy department has stili to
award contracts for the major portion
OF the building program authorized
by the last Congress.
Contracts will be awarded next
month for fqur aeet submarines, big.
ger faster and more powerful than
any submersiblo craft ever designed
The Schley, now building. will dis
place a thousand tons and make 20
knots on the surface. The new boats
will displace twelve hundred tons and
make 25 knots. Next month also con