Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-01
T|[LMAN GETS DATA
ON NAVY MEASURES
South CaroIinian Visits Bu-
renu Chiefs and Confers With
President Wilson.
SENATOR is NOT OPPOSED
TO REASONABLE INCREASE
White House Anticipates Program
Will Be Carried Through
About as Proposed.

StIdtof ben IllIman oil SOutn caro-
, lima. chairman of the Senate committee
on naval affairs. has reached Washing
ton for the purpose of gathering all the
data available concerning appropria
tons and measures generally for the
upbuilding of the navy at the comm 8
session of Congress and today was cir
culating through the Navy Department
! comforting with chiefs of bureaus and
! other officials. This afternoon he con-
ferred for a long time with President
Wilson on the purpose of the President
to push before Congress legislation
looking to a betterment of the national
defenses in all quarters
Calling at the White House in the
morning. Senator Tillman said that he
would stand for a reasonable, ade-
quate increase in both army and navy
and that whatever President Wilson rec
commended to Congress he would advo-
cate, mot because he is President Wilson,
but because he is a statesman and
knows what is best for the country by
reason of the information he has from
all directions"
Senator Tillman has been to the
Pacific coast looking over govern
mental preparations there, and went
all through a submarine, climbing up
and down the ladders and having the
also been through the navy yard in
New York, investigating affairs there.
He proposes to devote most of his time
from now until the assembling of Con-
gress collecting facts for the work of
his committee next winter.
First of Several Conferences.
The conference with Senator Tillman
is the first of a number President Will
har boa dc of ~
of Congress concerning naval and army
increases, but these conferences will
not get down to definite consideration
of the administration program until
the President has before him the ac-
tua1 recommendations of Secretaries
Garrison and Daniels, who are working
hard to complete their plans When
the President has tentatively agreed
upon a program he will consult with
committee heads and democratic lead
ers to ascertain their views, formulat-
ing his final program in time for sub
mission to Congress- In the event that
the committees which will handle na-
tional defense legislation are called in
session some weeks ahead of the assem-
bling of Congress to begin work upon
the legislation the program will be
submitted to them.
The White House does not anticipate
any serious opposition to the program
when definite one is decided upon by
the President. heads of departments and
congressional leaders There will natur-
ally be many views. it is pointed out, but
in the end there will be getting together
of the forces supporting the administra-
ton on this problem, democrats and re-
publicans alike, and the propositions will
become law very much as proposed from
the White House, it is believed.
Intention to Cut Expenses.
Infimatious fron, naici.I .o,,roa. ,o.,,. -.
were that it will be the purpose of the
Of the army and navy, to cut down ex-
DenditureS at useless army posts and
navy yards. thereby eradicating some of
the pork barrel features of past an
propriations. Rigid wedding out of un-
necessary appropriations will be sought
i'll order to cut down the total approprI-
ations
viii not commit himself to AN eXpendi-
ture of S500,600,000 for army and navy
increases. but VIII back q program that
goes far enough to put the country on Il
stronger defensive basis than il has
ever been before. BY eliminating log
rolling methods for appropria tions, if
that can he done, the expenditures for
the proposed increases will hardly be
felt, it is claimed in some quarters of
the dminist ration.
Say President Favors Bigger Army.
officials of the National Security
League, with Headquarters in New
York, are authority for the statement
that the Presidents idea of army pre-
paredness contemplates standing
army of 100000 men. This league will
conduct campaign in November and
December for the purpose of influence
ing Congress to back up the program
of the President.