The Washington times., 1916-01-04
DEFENSE HEARINGS
OPEN TOMORROW IN.
NAVAL COMMITTEE
House Body Will Start Long
Legislative -. I'd For Great
! er and Larger Navy.

National defense will become a legis-
, letive headliner tomorrow when the
House Committee on Naval Affairs
opens hearings on the preparedness Is
sue.
Within a few days. following it's pre-
liminary meeting scheduled for Thurs
day, the House Committee On Military
Affairs will take up the army appro-
priation bill and the national defense
battle will be on in earnest
Experts Of the army and navy, civil
ians, national guardsmen, and others
who may know something about war.
fare and the preparation for It., will
sed ss haaGa ss SSrs ssfSre hs The Naval
tee has reserved a large hearing room
in the House office building. moving
temporarily from its own cramped
quarters. The Military Affairs Com
mittee also is expected to reserve a
commodious room, and the public IN
terest in both hearings will be unusual.
II now Is planned that there Will be no
star-chamber sessions on preparedness.
Admiral Stanford First Witness.
Rear Admiral II. r Stanford, chief
Of the Bureau Of Yards and Docks. will
be the first witness before the Naval
Affairs Committee and dozens Of army
and navy experts are to be called by
the two committees. There is no dis
position to "skim over" the hearings,
and the state Of the nations defense
Although 1t is understood these Off
GERS are scheduled to appear before the
Naval Affairs Committee. Congressman
A. p. Gardner of Massachusetts, Is pre-
pairing to file with the committee a de-
nand that II hear Rear Admiral Fiske.
Rear Admiral winslow. and Brig. Gen.
NJ. NJ. Macomb. president of the Army
War College, on the national defense
issue. Officers Of the general board
the army probably will be among the
first witnesses called by the two House
committees.
with the reassemblng of Congress
the greatest uncertainty still exists re-
garding the probable fate of the Admin
istration's defense program. There ap-
pears to be no concert Of opinion among
legislators regarding what should be
done. nor how the funds are to be
raised to do It. Among both Republicans
and Democrats there IS division Of
sentiment over the entire preparedness
program. and only the small navy"
and Small armv' members have per-
fected anything like an organization.
tumble of Ideas.
The Naval Affairs Committee will be-
gin it's hearings with a tumble Of ideas
concerning the wisdom of Secretary
Daniels program. One theory advanced
is that IL the nation is in a state Of
deplorable unpreparedness. the building
program should not be stretched over a
period of years, but there should be
enormous appropriations for immediate
use. The opposing argument is that
this nation, because of the prospective
exhaustion of the European nations.
can be in no immediate danger, and
there Is no need for hurry.
still another faction. which is led by
Mr.. Kitchen of North Carolina, Is
av"rse to the building Of battleships.
but favors the construction of a limited
vessels. This same faction will put
emphasis npon the depleted finances of
the country. and will oppose big army
and navy appropriations with the
Tressury in its present condition.
GarrisOn's Plan Not Popular.
Secretary Garrlson's continental
army plan apparently has not gained
in favor as the defense hearings are
scheduled. Members of the House are
working out quietly substitute plans.
with the upbuilding Of the national
guard as q basis. Even Chairman Hay
n.f the Military Affairs Committee. who
provision in the army bill now ready
for introduction. is at heart ,ukewnrm
m support of the project. and Is known
TO regard it as impracticable. If not
visionary.
Members of the two House commit
tees predict that 1t will he several
months before the army and navy bud
gets are put through the lower body.
The hearings will be the longest in
the history of the Governm ment, so far
as similar bills are concerned. and the
debate on the defense program promises
10 De unusually bitter and nrolonged.