Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-03-23
PRESIDENT BACKS
HOUSE ARMY BILL
Pending Measure Meets Will
sons Views and Convictions
Says Hay-Kenyon Lays
For Joker In Bill.

w NA'hA - ~ az, SSA
military bill is President Wilson'S own
bill. Chairman Hay, Of the military
committee informed the House today,
when debate on the measure was re-
sumed under the 10-hour rule.
II may say" he sad in reply to a
question, "in broad language that this
is the presidents bill; that he thor
oughly approves of it."
Chairman Hay said the bill carries
out the recommendations of the presi-
dents message, n goes a little fur
Their" He added hat while the bill
did not contain the continental army
provision the president was satisfied
the proposed liberalization of the Ma
tional Guard would accomplish the
same purposes.
Then" Representative Moore, re-
publican of Pennsylvania, said, gentle
men voting for the bin will be voting
for the presidents convictions?"
"They will,"~ responded Mr.. Hay.
Not Adequate Says Mann.
Representative Mann, minority lead
er. attacked the bill as being made
quatd to meet the demands Of the pres
ent time. He said:
I'VE are having a little trouble on the
border of Mexico, and are sending a
few soldiers into hat country. The
time for this came after we had had
troops on the border for four years in
contemplation of that very thing. Yet,
when this trouble occurred these troops
were not actually sent across the Dor
der until the House had passed a reso-
luton ordering an increase of 10000
men to a k the places of the few SOL
diers who might cross.
Never was there a more pat Illus
tration than that of the fact that the
present army and the proposed in
crease, while sufficient in times of ac-
tual peace, would not be sufficient in
time of war or when any occasion
arises for even a miniature war and
today we have the greatest war of the
ages going IN"
May Be Too Late.
Representative Mann said the United
States must take a prominent place in
defending its own rights and those of
smaller n%eutrals, and in upholding in
ternational law.
81 believe he said, that it is the
! duty of the United States to prepare
| now an army which will add to the
| weight Of the suggestions we made.
The time has come when it is wise
for US to consider the possibility n
even the probability of the future, and
prepare now for what may come to US.
If we do not prepare now we may re-
I STGL II 10 Tie cIlu oI our llNeS.
Representative Kahn, ranking minor
ity member of the military committee,
said war came suddenly in modern
! times and patriotism demanded a reas-
enable measure of preparedness for
! war. With adequate preparation in
! peace times, he said, thousands of lives
might have been saved in the country's
vars.
Kenyon Spots Joker.
'.Croat 2rit in " CprnrollaI franx
to adopt co~nscription," he said. Il be-
lieve that if ever we become involved
n any great war it will become neces-
sary to resort to the draft"
Washington. d. c.. March 2O.-Sena-
| tor Kenyon said today he would en-
/ deavor to amend the bill of Senator
! Smith. of South Carolina which is in
tended to enable big financial interests
to obtain a tremendous government
subsidy to enable them to manufac-
ture nitrates n nitric acid at the
famous Mussel Shoals, Of the Tennes-
see river in Alabama.
The bill is looked on as having be-
hind it one OF the biggest schemes to
make Uncle sam an angel for GER
tain interests which has been tried out
| in congress in years.
Senator Kenyon will propose that
| the government not only develop the
| power at Mussel Shoals, or wherever
nitrate plants are located, build the
necessary dams and the likes, but also
manufacture the nitrates and nitric
acid itself. Fertilizer could be sold
at reasonable figures to farmers, ana
the government could use the cheml-
calls for explosives and preparedness
in case of war.
The Mussel Shoals scheme has been
put into the army bill. Judge Tcwner
| today will try to eliminate this joker
General debate on the army increase
bill was continued in the House today
with prospects that it would not be
passed by tonight as had been ex-
pected. A final vote may not be reach
ed b~eforesthe latter part of next week
1t Cad been planned to old nigh
sessions in an attempt to get through
tonight, but this was given up after i
/ was seen that no organized opposition
to the bill was in evidence on the foo
of the House, and after announcement
that many amendments would be of
| fered.
| MOI a STU RETAINS