The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-12
GUARD OF 400 THOUSAND PLEA
 OF HOUSE BILL
Plans Under Way to Mobi lize Men Needed Behind
 Fighting Lines.


 Washington. Feb. 12-The House Committee on Military Affairs closed its hearings on the bill which will be introduced in the House carrying the Administrations preparedness pro erarnme. Chairman Hay stated that the measure will be reported to the House in about three weeks
 The committee adopted a resolution authorizing 1het chairman to express to President Wilson its appreciation of the spirit of fairness in which he is dealing with the preparedness prob Ien1s and also thanking him for his defense of the committee as disclosed an his ooTrespondence with former Secretary Garrison The resolution thanking the President was not re duced to writing. It was verbal and simply instructed Chairman Hay to thank the President on behalf of the Military Affairs Comn1fttee.
 So far as can be learned the com nnittee win recomn end an increase in the standing army to. 100000 This may be changed when the measure Senator Chambrelafns Chairman of the Senate Military, Committee, be- 1teves the standing army should rep resent at least 8 %. 900 men A compro- mise figure will no doubt be agreed upon
 As a second am of the nghting ser vice, the House bill will provide for federalizing the militia of the several states It is expected that in this way the total nunbe of toops available for duty at all times will be 100000.
 Authority will be conferred upon the President by Congress to draft the National Guards of the various states in time Of need. a power now vested i4i Congress under the Constitution, ac-. cording to the contention of the Judge Advocate General of the army.
 The details for paying members of the federaIized militia have not as vet been worked out It has been sug- sested that Captains receive $500 a. wear, First Lsieutenants $500, First Sergeants $2o0 andf so on down the line to the privates.
 It win be provided i'm the bill that no one shall be allowed to accept 2 position as officer in the increased army until he has passed the required examination
 The system of regulation contem- plated is of a broad character, de- Signed to provide fof the training and discipline of the .guardsmen in peace times in way that will insure ef1-s cient organizations for volunteer war Service Only the adninistration of the law would be left with the War Departnent It is proposed also to. provide under these regulations for Ehe co-ordiHatfon of enlistment per zods. physical standards, and the ex-' Limitations which officers appointed by state authorities must pass; for an adeduate reserve system for the Guard and for a Standardized method of recruiting to fill up the vTastage of regiments sent to the front.
 Provision also will be made under which the quota of troops to be fur nish@d by each state and the fFropor- rons of artillery cavalry, engineers gnaI corps and other special service Moops would be determined by the War Department Special Federal ap- propriations will be proposed for the nlaintenance of these more costly Branches Of the service
 Tn addition to plans a1read dy oIlt1in- Cd, it is now thought there will be provided in the bills proposed or in companion measures definite plans for lndustriaI mobilization irl time of war behind the fighting lines of reserves df civilian aides to military operations such as railroad men, automobile driv- CTS and mechanics, telegraphers, te1e- MEhone engineers and operators and men of other civil occupations neces- sary to ah army.
 Adequate su4ns for the strengthen ing of coast defenses will be provided 1n the Fortihcations AppropTia iation era1 plan of preparedness. The de- lenses in and around the harbor of New York will be equipped with some of the largest and most pow erfu1 guns now being constructed by the govern ment.
 In so far as the naval program is concerned. the Committee having this in charge has not completed it's hear ings, and there has been no work done in the formation of a bill to be pre- sented to the House.
 An amendment to the pending Ma val Appropriation Bill, providing that if an international peace tribunal should be prepared for the disarma- nent of the navies of the world at the time the bill became operative, battIeship building in this country Senate byesterday by Senator shafroth of Colorado.
 How the United States could man. ufacture it's own nitrates essential to gunpowder by electrical power from navfgab1e streams if the country should be cut off from it's present supply in ChiIi was explained to the House Military. Committee today by President Washburn of the American Cyanide Company.
 Eighteen months would eIapse in plant construction before the naanz- facture of nftrates could be begun Feasible water power sites, he said, were on the Columbia River in Ore gon and at Musse1 Shoals. Ala
 Should the cyanide industry be de- ve1oped in this country. Mir Wash burn estimated that the present an nual fertilizer bill of $175, ,00O, 900 paid by American farmers, would be cut in half
 PRoF KICKER TO TALK.