Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-10-21
President Will Speak at New
York November 4th on the
Great National Program Pro.
posed for Next Six Years.
NEW DEFENCEs OUTLINED
BY 1925 United States, 1t Is
Hoped, Will Have 43 Dread
noughts and Fleet of Subma-
rines That Will Fringe the
Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.

Washington Oct. 1S-A national defense
program that probably means an ex-
penditure on the army and navy Of up
wards Of a billion dollars in the next six
years will be laid before the people by
President Wilson on November when
he goes to New York to make his first
public address since the scope Of the poll
ICY upon which his administration has em-
barked became known. He will speak
before the Manhattan club OF New York
on national defense and the reasons which
have impelled him to approve plans to
about double the navy and Quadruple the
trained fighting forces ashore within
few years
With the estimates Of the war and navy
departments submitted for the coming
year. the breadth of the administration
policy as to preparedness Is being real
lied. 1t shapes up in totals as follows:
Navy-For new ships and increased per-
sonnet. II five years. s5Oo0O,0Co
! Army-For reserve material (arms and
ammunition within four years, sl05 600 90.
For new coast defenses and moderniza-
| ton Of old forts within four years sSl, 0D0,-
CO.,
| For the continental army and the pro-
posed increase in the regular army.
| 500. OD,MO. (This amount probably will
! be n continuing and II anything In
creasing appropriations through the first
six-year period which would make the
| total expenditure at that time slos, OO,-
| NO.
The grand total expenditure thus ac-
tually planned would be ss4o,oOorO0.
According to plans laid out by experts
Of tho navy and war departments. these
expenditures would produce by 1925 a
first line of dreadnoughts and battle
| cruisers numbering 43; fleet OF coast
defense submarines that would fringe the
| Atlantic and Pacific coasts with an al
most solid line Of interior defense against
| attack; fleet OF nearly 175 destroyers,
| and squadrons of huge sea-going fleet
submarines to operate with the battle
squadrons at great distance from shore.
For the army, there would be at the
end Of six years n trained force Of
l,20o,0oo men. including a regular army
of 10000. and the proposed continental
army and reserves ring of fully-man-
ned coast defenses. equipped with the
largest and most powerful guns yet built
and vast reserve Of field guns, ma
chine guns. howitzers and big gun am
muniton.
In addition the enormously increased
lcapacity Of private munition plants
would give assurances of ample sup
plies Of small arms and field gun am
munition.
Neither war nor navy department
estimates for the coming year have
been made public as yet in detail. 1t
was learned to-day, however. that Of
} the s72.OOO.o00 increase over last
years bill to be asked by the war
: department s46.O0O.ooo would go toward
reserve material and coast defense
: works, the remaining s26.000,o00 to be
! used in building up the new armies
| regular and continental. Part of this
{ s46, 600 would go into building and
arming the new forts which will guard
, the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.
1t is proposed to spend more OF the
: money in building new forts to guard
New York, San Francisco and other great
harbors from attack. Gigantic 16-inch
rifles will be mounted In all these de-
lenses of the first class where enemy
craft with modern guns would be dam
gerous from great distance.
Another expenditure contemplated Is
for fitting the present 70 and 14-inch rides
with carriages that will give them great
, range. Much already has been accom-
plshed IN that way and the work will w
carried on until every fort is modernize ed.
No. l6 rifles will be installed in places
of smaller guns. however. 1t is said be-
cause to make all the changes in maya
zines, hoist machinery and the like
would be more expensive and less salts
factory than to build new emplaoement.
for these huge weapons.