The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-16
Most Extensive Effort Ever
Made to Determine Exact
Sentiment OF Country :.

WASHINGTON, April 15.-How the
people OF the country. really feel TO.
ward the subject OF national defense-
which up to this time has been large.
iy a matter Of conjecture-may be
learned as result Of o canvass just
begun by the Chamber Of Commerce
OF the United States. 1t will be, It II
said, the most thorough and compre,
hensive effort ever made to ascertain
country wide sentiment on question
SO prominently before the people and
Congress. A rcferendum-the fifteenth
since the organization of the national
chamber-has gone to 700 commercial
bodies, to every state in the union
representing some 100000 business
men. Our insular possessions and also
many American chambers, OF com.
merce abroad will also be heard from
These commercial bodies will be asked
to vote for or against recommends.
lions contained in the report OF a spe.
cial committee. OF which Bascom Little
OF Cleveland is the chairman.
Committee Recommends.
for the preservation Of the peace and
honor Of the United States. the ma.
tional defense forces both on sea and
land should be so increased and the
industrial J. resources so co-ordinated
as to make fully available the milf.
tary, industrial and financial strength
Of the nation. It is urged that o body
in the nature OF d council of5hational
defense be created by law to assist
in tho development Of an adequate
and continuing policy for national de-
tense.
The committee recommends that q
stan 4, Of, industrial mobilization, be
forthwith created by law and. SO or.
ganized and maintained in times o.
peace as to insure the most effective
use Of the economic resources OF the
United States In case of war. 1t IL
advocated. that a. program OF naval
construction be adopted Immediately
sufficient to-, restore the, United States
at least to its former position OF sec,
ond naval power In, the, Atlantic, with
surplus. In, the Pacific sufficient to
protect the coasts, Its possessions, its
trade routes, .thes canal zone and ada
cent. territory. iss,,son,s q IA .,s1t M
The committee asks to have created
by lava general staff for the, navy, by
Strengthening the present Office iot
naval operations of the navy depart
ment.i or. otherwise. A recommends.
ton is made that the regular army be
increased until 1t, together with its
fro fnad raaax-uaa shall ha nuAlata~N e.
furnish the first line Of land defense
as recommended by the general stan
Of the army. or by the council Of ma
tional defense or similar body after
1t has been created by law.
Universal Training Needed.
The committee, recognizing the mil
itary obligation equally with the civic
obligation as a fundamental duty Of
democratic citizenship in a republic
and to establish a system which will
affect every man alike, recommends
that universal military training be
adopted as a fundamental democratic
principle Of our military policy and
be enforced by law to furnish ade-
quateS land. sea and industrial forces
in peace and war. Recognizing that
the constituent elements Of necessary
war material are of. such infinite va
riety that they cannot all be pro-
duced in government plants in time
Of war but are and must be produced
In highly diversified and specialized
industries, the committee recommends
that fundamental feature Of the ma
tional policy for supplying war ma
terial should be to educate private IN
dustry in time Of peace in the manu-.
facture OF such material, under nat:
urally prearranged government regu-
lation Of prices, rather, than to trust
to production in government plants
alone.
The committee, urges that the edu-
cative arrangements with private man
ufactnrers for the production OF war
material in time Of peace serve not
only to supply current needs Of the
army and navy but also to accumu-
late q reserve Of war material suf-
fcient to supply onr land and sea
forces, both regular. and reserve, from
the beginning of q possible war until
such time as the industries or the
COUNTY Cdn pTVuuCc tuo hCichcSu
supplies then requisite. Finally, 1t Is
proposed that an adequate number Of
commissioned and non commissioned
officers be added to the regular army
for detached service and that q prop
erly trained officers reserve corps. be
created sufficient to officer the very
large number Of men who would have
to be raised Immediately in the event
OF war. y -. : =, 49,. -
Prominent COMMITTEES Men.
In view Of Thu, fact. that the subject
OF national defense Is, now. being ac-
lively discussed by Congress. the per-
sonnet Of the special committee OF the
national chamber. which. framed the
above; specific recommendations, Is Of
particular import s,isss .r,,s
Mr.. Little, the chairman. Ia the pres
ident OF the Cleveland, I, chamber Of
commerce. The other members are
Bion. J.. Arnold, OF Chicago. former
president Of the American Institute Of
Electric Engineers: Hugh Chalmers
| Of Detroit, president Of the, Chalmers
Motor Company; D. s. Chamberlain. Of