The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-30
PRESIDENT SIGNS
 THREE IMPORTANT
 MEASURES IN DAY
Army, Navy and Philippines Bills Approved By Ma
 tional Executive.

Washington, Aug 3O.-Surrounded by Cabinet members, Senators, Repre- sentatives and high officers of the army and navy, President Wilson yes terday signed the army and navy bills and released more than S5S2, ,0c0, coo, which is to be expended during the next fiscal year in the cause of pre- paredness. Motion picture machines clattered and cameras clicked during the ceremony. With several addition al strokes of the pen he approved the Philippines Bill and the one amend ing the law governing the commercial status of bills of lading.
 In a speech to those who had come to witness the ceremony the President pointed out that the four measures I constitute remarkable legislative achievement.
 i Included in the throng who watched the signing of the measures were Gee
 retary of War Baker, Rear Admiral
 William S. Benson. Acting Secretary
 of the Navy; members of the Senate
 and House Committees on Military and Naval Affairs, Judiciary and
 Philippines; Resident Commissioner
 Queon of the Philippines; Major Gen.
 Hugh l.. Scott Chief of Staff; Major
 Gen. Tasker H. Bliss, Assistant Chief
 of Staff; Brig. Gen. Mcintyre, Chief
 of the Bureau of Insular Affairs; Judge Advocate General Crowder of 1 the army: Rear Admirals Taylor Griffin and Strauss; Payluaster Gen.
 eral McGowan of the navy and Lieut.
 Commander McKindless.
 Signs Defense Bills With Own Pen. l The President signed the army and
 It, | Philippines Bill was signed with a gold pen furnished by Commissioner
 Quezon, which the latter will present
 to the Philippine government. Sena-
 tor Pomerene of Ohio supplied the pen with which the bills of lading
 measure was signed.
 After completing his task, the Pres
 ident said to the assemblage: "I cannot let an occasion like this pass without saying something about
 the feelings with which I sign these bills, many of which probably will be
 momentous in their results. I think the country will feel that this Con- gress has accomplished a very re-
 markable part of the program of na- tionaI defense. This bill have signed for the army is merely the Appropria- I ton Bill, it is not the bill by which
 we reorganized the army, but it does carry with it a much-needed revision of the articles of war, and it means
 that the finances of the nation are be-
 hind the reorganization of the army and it's use for adequate national de- fense.
 ''The Navy Bill Is very remarka- b1e measure. Never before, by one
 single act cf legislation, has so much been done for the creation of an ade- quate navy. Our navy has grown
 steadily I think the development of that arm of force always has had the enthusiastic support of the nation. It is a matter of unusual qualification, therefore, that we should have been
 able, at this time, to do so much, to
 do it so well, and do 1t with such unanimity of support and opinion. Shows Real Intentions of D. s.
 "The Philippine Bill excites peculiar feelings in me, because there have been times when the people of the Philippine Islands doubted our inten- tion to be literally just to them. I hope and believe this bill is a suffi- cient earnest to tLem of our real in- tentions.
 Ut is a very satisfactory advance in our policy of extending to them genuine self-government and control of their own affairs. T is only by such means that any people comes into contentment and political capac- ity.
 The last bill, the Bill of Lading Bill, I believe, will be a most substan- tial assistance to the right conduct of both the commercial and financial business of the country.
 So that it Is with great gratiftca- tion that I am able to add my part to so many pieces of useful and public spirited legislation"