The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-03-04
CHANGE IN DEFENSE clMPl9n
BILLS PROVIDING FOR INCREASE
IN ARMY WILL BE INTRO
DUCED NEXT WEEK.
Measures VIII Call for Force Larger
Than That Ever Before Contc1n-
plated I'm Time OF Peace-Advises
That Naval Fleet be Enlarged as
Quickly as Possible. ~

That Naval Fleet be Enlarged as
Quickly as Possible. ~
Washington, Feb. 2s.--The cam
paign for national preparedness win
enter on new phase in congress next
week when in all probability biils
providing for increasing the army 10
an extent never before contemplated
in time Of peace will be introduced in
both the house and senate.
The house military committee will
begin tomorrow It's final review OF the
measures tentatively agreed upon last
week which. 1t is stated. will be AL,
tered only in minor details before II
is favorably reported. The mai vot&
probably will be taken Thursday, hut
1t will require several days for Cha3r4
man Hay to prepare report to xcyy
company the bill. sssl
The senate committee agreed today
to insert only a general provision tof
liberalization Of the National Guard
In it's regular army reoriyanizatiosy
measure. leaving the task Of putting
this legislation I'm final shape to the
Joint conference committee to which
the two bills will 90. BY this acticn
the senate committee mads It pos
sible to bring out it's bill also next
week. tA s.
Before the house naval COMMITTEES
Rear Admiral knight continued 70.
day his Recommendations that every
facility in the country. be employed to
hasten construction Of a fleet equal 70
those Of any two nations except Great
Britain. American policies such az
the Monroe doctrine, Asiatic' exclu-
sion, control Of the Panama canal
and the open door in China, he de-
clared. constituted great and grove
Ing threat OF war unless adeduate
preparations to uphold them ais
made. ss =.
Admiral Knight said he believed Il
would take two years and 4 half -
||g3asAl|S ~ sAxxS As,aisnt sl.ese
meet the present German fieet with
any hope Of success. The time limit
he set was the minimum required to
build nine battlecruisers and eight
fast scouts. He said It would take ls
months to put the ships OF the At
lantic deet in full readiness for war.
mot that we would not make a good
showing against any force in much
less time." he added.
Representative Farr asked If. II
would not be necessary to begin con-
struction Immediately in all available
government yards II a great number
Of capital ships were to be built in a
hurry. He called attention to pub
lished figures stating that in the las
10 years Germany had built 173 fighr-
ing ships. England 252 and the United
States "a. Admiral knight said he
understood a subcommittee of the
naval committee would be appointed
later to investigate the subject Of
shipbuilding facilities. public and
private. He advised that the Boston,
New York. Philadelphia. Norfolk,
Mare Island and Puget Sound yards
be equipped Immediately for their
maximum output OF big ships.
MAJ. Gen. Barnett. commander CT
the marine corps. followed Admiral
knight, urging that $50 officers, So
warrant officers and 2,37s men be
added to the corps to bring 1t up to the
strength advanced by the general
board. which is on the basis of one
fifth Of the strength of the navy per-
sonnel. He asked also that the one
fifth standard be written into per-
manent law.
Gen. Barnett said he had prepared
and Secretary Daniels would present
" congress at once legislation design
ed to permit marine officers to az
cept service under the Haitien gov
ernment in the constabulary now that
the treaty has been ratified.
Representative Tilson of the house
military committee addressed the
house today on a feature of the pro-
paredness plans on which he has
dwelt at length in committee hear
ings. Backing up his remarks with
exhibits from various arsenals, he said
that while there were hundreds of
gun and ammunition factories in OPP
Grafton in this country. none but gov
ernment plants were prepared to pro-
cuce the weapons and cartridges
needed by the American navy.
A Dill to provide for the manufac.