The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-11

Washington. Feb. 11-Universa1 military training, restoration of the American navy to second place, and creation of an advisory council of na- tionaI defence, composed of men rep resenting all forms of national strength. were advocated by the na- tioaal-defence committee of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States in a report yesterday submitted to the Chamber.
 We believe that no plan of na- tionaI defence the report says, should be adopted which will per init, due to the outbreak of war, any profit arising out of the national dan ger to any one, and in case the press ure of war is put upon us we may unitedly and universally accept .sacri- fees both of property and person for the one great national. necessity.''
 The Council of National Defence, composed of the President, the Sec retaries of State, War, Navy, Com merce, Labor and Treasury, chairmen of important Congressional commit tees, ranking officers of the army and navy, and some civilians would per form advisory and co-ordinary func- tions.
 A General Staff for the navy and a staff of industrial mobilization, to sub init to Congress carefully detailed plans TOT the use or naI1Ona1 economic strength in case of war, are recon- mended.
 In referring to the need of ade- quate defence the Committee cites the Monroe Doctrine, the new Pan-Amerf- canism. Asiatic exclusion, the princi- pie of freedom of the seas, and Ameri- can influence in the enforcement of in ternationa1 law, as policies which might provoke other nations to of fence.
 'It is the opinion of the Commit tee," the report continues, "that the 1 strength of the navy should be in- l creased with all dispatch until it shall be sufficient to restore the United States to its former position of second naval Power in the Atlantic, with a ] surplus in the Pacific sufficient to in sure therein to the United States the command of it's coast, possessions, and | trade routes, and to protect from in vasion the canal zone and it's ad6a- cent territory.
 Your Committee believe" the re- port continues, ''in the great value of universal training in time of peace, 1 for it's economic advantage t0 every | individual, and for the cultivation of patriotism, good citizenship, good health, and good morals, which will | be worth many times over the cost of l maintaining the system
 Of the financial requirement. neces- sary for the program, the Committee says:
 | "The Committee realizes that this or any other adequate plan of national l defence necessarily involves raising and spending large sums of money. ] To carry this burden the Federal gov ernment should closely examine it's 1 present expenditures. and then cour- i ageously assess the necessary new requirements upon the people of the nation. The Committee is certain l that the nation will respond, and that 1 the Chamber of Commerce of the
 United States will support the govern
 ment in this request for adequate funds"
 A resolution calling upon the rail- roads and their employees to set tie their wage controversy by arbitra- ton was adopted yesterday by the l Chamber of Commerce of the United States, representing more than 700 l organizations of business men 1 throu gh out the country
 After recitinS that an interruption
 of traffic in the United States would be "a national calamity and if 1 brought about through arbitrary ac- ton by either side would 'constitute an act inimica1 to public welfare and fraught with grave consequences,'' the