The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-09
Declines to Say What Steps Have Been Taken to Put Fleet in Fighting Trim. Upheld by Padgett
MATERIAL PROGRESS MADE BY CONGRESS ON PREPAREDNESS BILLS
Senate Military Committee Closes Hearings on Army
 Bill - Emergency Meas ures Are Recommended

Washington, February S-Congress made progress today on national preparedness measures.
 The Senate military committee closed it's hearings on the army bills The Sen ate naval committee reported favorably a bill for government armor plate fac tory and recommended immediate passage of two emergency navy measures which passed the House yesterday. On the House side of the capitol the naval com mttee virtually concluded it's examination of Rear Admiral Blue, chief of the bu- reau of navigation, while the military committee received the proposals of the American Red Cross for greater govern ment aid in Red Cross preparedness plans. sta
 During the day the military committees of both houses heard delegations of paci- iicists, who argued against any army or navy increases.
 FLEET IS READY The most striking statement brought out at any of the hearings was that of Admiral Blue, who declared the American navy now was ready to meet any enemy it might be called upon to encounter in the Pacific. He declined to say what steps had been taken in the last year and half toward preparing the navy against emergencies holding these to be military secrets.
 Chairman Padgett supported Admiral Blue in his determination not to reveal | s1D sentative Brittens attempt to find out, as he expressed it, whether the navy is now ready to fight" Br Britten asserted that the general board had warned the department year ago that it should pre- pare and he wanted to know just what steps had been taken.
 The Senate military committee probably will begin tomorrow the preparation of a bill it will propose to build up adequate land defenses. Present indications are that the administrations plan to create a federal volunteer army to be known as the continentals will be included in this bill. in some form There will be pro- vision for 8 reorganization of the reg ular army and Chairman Chamberlain and several of his committee members III UT iSC PCliiidilcul lOICS WILL tie colors of more than 100000 men as against Secretary Garrison's recommendations for a skeleton organization of 10000
 HEARINGS END NEXT WEEK
 The House military committee will com plete it's hearings probably next week. The continental army scheme, many conn mittee members believe, will be abandoned in the bill it will submit in favor of measures designed to federalize the Ma tional Guard under militia pay provisions.
 The Senate naval committee is not ex- pected to take up the appropriation bill dealing with the preparedness building programme until the House committee is well advanced with it's work. It will be six weeks two months, Chairman Padgett of the House committee has es- timated, before hearings will close there, and as yet the building programme has not been dealt with directly, the commit tee having confined it's attention to items dealing with the equipment and upkeep of ships now in service, building or au- thorized
 Today's examination of Admiral Blue disclosed the source of the statements contained in Admiral Fletchers last an- nual report that the Atlantic fleet was
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