Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-05
Advocates Plan Early Effort to
Establish Presidents Posi-
ton in Regard to Bills.
MAY COMBINE PROGRAM
WITH NATIONAL DEFENSE
Believe Tactical Advantages May Be
Gained by Argument Tending to
Prove INTERPOLATION of Ideas.

Conservationists Of the United States
who are now outlining their program OF
battle this winter before Congress. it was
learned in Washington today, intend to
make an early effort to have President
Wilson announce his position with refer
ence to the bills which did not pass at
the last session Of Congress. Unless they
can obtain from the White House some
assurance that the conservation program
which was espoused by the democrats at
the beginning of the present administra-
ton will be pushed this winter it may
be that the conservationsts will attempt
to tack some features of the conservation
measures on to the army and navy ap-
preparation bills, and thus hook up the
conservation paganda with the admin
istration program for national defense.
This information was obtained today
by reporter for The Star at the Mum
sey building headquarters of the Ma
tional Conservation Association, of
which Clifford Pinchot is the president.
Mr.. Pinchot is out of town, but it may
be said that there has been tentative
discussion of the idea of hooking up, if
possible, what is expected to be the ad-
ministration program for increased mil
itary preparedness with some features
of the proposed laws desired by the
COnSerVdtlOnlSCS.
Seek Tactical Advantage.
Conservationists realize, it is said,
that there may be a certain tactical adj
vantage in trying to bring the two
subjects before the country at the
same time, and in a related manner.
They realize that new legislation, such
as proposed conservation legislation,
Il oF tI,a RI
navy appropriation bills on the point of
order that appropriation bills may not,
under the laws, contain new legislation,
but the conservationists believe, 1t is
said, that If they carry out the idea
suggested they will get the benefit of
a public discussion on the floors of Con-
gress of the laws they advocate. and
even if their proposals are thrown out,
that they can be Immediately reintro-
duced as separate bills
That the national defense and con-
servation ideas are intertwined is
proved. conservationists say, in the
cases of water powers. oil lands and
coal lands. Germany, they point out,
war munitions she has needed within
her own borders, at least so far as
concerns those which are made of
nitrates, by reason of the fact that
when granting water power leases in
the past the German government has
reserved the right to take over water
power plants when necessary, which
she has now done in many cases. Pow
derS are made of nitrates. the latter
being obtained in recent years from
the atmosphere. There are two water
power plants in the United States at
present manufacturing nitrates intro
gem from the atmosphere-one at
Niagara Falls and the other at Nitrolee,
N. c.. although most of the nitrate used
in the United States has in the past
been purchased from Chile.
Water Power as Military Defense.
The water power bills which failed of
passage at the. last Congress, con-
servationists say. ought to contain
clauses permitting the United States to
take the plants over, If necessary, to
make nitrates; or the army and navy
appropriation bills ought to contain
clauses of the water power bills max
ing the water power plants Of the coun-
try possible of use by the government
if necessary. In other words. the con-
servationists say the water power plants
of the country are really a part of it's
natural defenses and ought to be made
part of it's military defenses. il neces
sary, in time of war.
AS to the oil lands and the coal lands
the conseryationists say there is a
growing use of oil as fuel for ships,
and that 1t is obvious that coal is a
country and ought to be made part