The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-05
'NAT|ON'SLEADERSTO CONFER TODAY ON NATIONAL DEFENSE Seek Cooperation Between Governmental Departments
 On Military Affairs TO CONSIDER BILLS
 TO INCREASE ARMY ! Secretaries of War and Navy and Prominent Congressmen Will Look Into Our Preparedness for

Washington, January 4.-Co-opera- tion between the government's exec utive and legislative branches in ap- for national defense Ia the object of a conference arranged today between Secretaries Garrison and Dan- ieIs and the chairmen of the Senate and House military and naval committees.
 The conference will be held tomor- row night and besides the four com chairmen, other democratic leaders have been invited. It ls gen erally expected an effort will be made to balance the various appropriations in conformity with a general policy to the national defense, plans for which will be submitted to President Wilson for final approval. Various bills for increases in the regular army will be one of the principal topics.
 While this conference was being planned the House military commit- tee today heard Representative Gard ner of Massachusetts advocate his pro- rosal for q commission to investigate the country's military preparedness and tho naval subcommittee wound up its work on the naval appropriation bill
 The subcommittee incorporated in the naval bill a provision creating the office of chief of operations under the Secretary of the Navy, with a four year tenure of office and to be held by rear admiral His duties would be to supervise all naval preparations for ret- ,..t. IL. also provided for an increase of 4l commissioned officers in the marine corps and the promotion of 110 non commissioned officers.
 Create Naval Reserve
 The administration provision to cra- ste naval reserve, designed to pro- ouce ultimately reserve of 25. GOO for mer men of the navy. was adopted, with 
 Lack or co-ordinafion between the navy department, the Atlantic fleet and Congress Is charged by Rear Ad- nl'rst taistta N. Knieff. in chargA of the naval war college. ifi report, dated at Newport, December 16, and em- bodied in the revised record of hear ings made public today by tho com. mittee. Admiral Knights statement vas brought out by telegrams sent by Secretary Daniels to Admiral Knight and to Rear Admiral Fletcher asking whether there is lack of co-ordina- t;on in the administration of the Att iantfe fleet and what the naval war college says it should accomplish
 While Admiral Fletcher reported the same day from New York that he knew of no lack of coordination at the pres- ent time and believed that the present coordination meets with the war col lege's full approval" Admiral Knight made this statement:
 Lack of Coordination
 "The war college believes that lack Of coordination does exist in the fleet; between the navy department and the fleet and between the navy department, the fleet and Congress the college does rot regard this as a new situation, al- though 1t happens to be at this moment acute. The remedy rests partly with the fleet, where everything that can be done already Is in prepar- alton; partly with the department where plans already have been formu- lated for more extensive marauvers than ever before. and chiefly with Congress where there already is pend- Ing bill for a council of national defense. which more than all other agencies combined. would make for a CO., ordination of all government agen- cies, many of which lie far outside the fields of the navy and the navy depart 'nent."
 Admiral Knight cited the diversion of battleships and torepdo craft to uses widely different from that for which they exist. with resulting h. of preparation for battle and the breaking down of efficiency. He said this in many cases was the result of lack of cruisers and gunhoats.
 Among other data just added to the report of the hearing is statement of naval expenditures for the current fiscal year. showing that while the Uni led States appropriated s141S72.7s0 Great Britain appropriated 426o. GOO 0n0. Germany (April to March). $iff.0OO,- '00: France January to December), e124. 000 900; Russia (Jsnuary to De- ,ember), si29 ooo.n na0: Japan (April 10 Narch). sGo co" OnO. Italv (July to June 30), s570O0.000. Total appropria- tons on account of the navy in this were shown to arererate S3.071, ,t7a.959.
 Submits Letters
 Representative Gardner submitted to Inc military committee a series of let fers exchanged by himself and Secre- fary Garrison in the past two or three VI eeks Mr. Garrison. replying to a question as to how much the 14-inch guns of foreign navies outranecd the l2.inch guns of this countrys coast de- lenses. wrote that foreign guns carry at their maximum elevation 21.000 yards, while "our 12-inch guns on their carriage carry 13.000 yards. but could be mounted so as to carry a similar distance to the foreign guns.
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