Norwich bulletin., 1917-04-06
tcontinu.d iron. pas. ons)

president. while hoping ferventIy thai
 hostiittes could be avoided. has. kept
 ment in motion day and night to pre-
 pare against eventualitfes- To any
 close obstrver the capitol is now
 apparent that Germany again has mis-
 judged if she thought to find the
 United States hopelessly impotent and
 unprepared-
 Many Vessels for Navy.
 The navy in order to complete In record time the enormous building program authorizedssb congress-, has l enlisted in the public Service virtually the entire shipbuilding. facilities Of the
 country; surveys have been made of ] merchant craft that would be avail
 able in war time and guns have placed on many of them; plans ara complete I for immediate taking oyerA-into the | naval establishments the sturdy cut than a score of steamers equipped for mine laying and belonging to- the lighthouse service, and the scienttf1- | cally fitted vessels of the bureausNof fisheries and the cost and geodedic sur vey.
 Warship Construction. 1 Tn order to expedite naval con- struction more than $100,000, 900. au- l thorized by the last congress Is being spent on naval and private sfipyards, l the eight hour labor regulation as ap- plying to naval works has been sus- pended by order of the president and VdIlOuS dSenCleS are Qclplns Insure du adequate supply of skilled and un- skilled labor. Builders have laid aside private work on which profits amount to as much as 50 per cent to give precedence to navy work on basis of cost plus 10 per cent. profit. New Naval Bases.
 Detailed plans have been worked out through most of study by a spe- cia1 naval board for realigning the
 whole system of naval bases. Rec ommenda tions are before congress and as soon as authorization is given the
 establishment of new bases and the enlargement existing ones can begin.
 Around some of the bases and other
 strategic coast points great steel Sub-
 marine nets have been swung and contracts forwarded 1000 more nets-
 Boom in Recruiting.
 Tn addition to the 183 midshipmen commissioned ahead of time another class of more than 200 will be grac~ uated at Annapolis in September- For the first time clerical and other shore positions in the navy have been open ed to women, and recruiting stations have been unable to handle the flood of applicants of men and women which has followed the call for re- cruits. There is a boom in recruit ing for the marine corps too. which has been raised to an authorized war strength of Ii, 400 and soon is to be further increased.
 15yooo Naval Militiamen and Reserves
 Passage of the war resolution is the signal for mobilization of 15,000 naval militiamen and reserves to support regulars.
 For the coast patrol of submarine chasers hundreds of contracts had been let and many other small craft have been offered by private owners So far has the origin of the mosquito fleet progressed that more than score of bases have been established along I@,,1f -%e anG senior officer has been detached to command this new navy unit. The vessels ranging up to length Of lOO feet are armed with guns large enough l
 2ooo Patrol Boats.
 Secretary Daniels hopes within | short period to have at least 1000 such boats in operation. and said the | facilities for their construction. or for the building of other naval craft prove all plans are ready to com l fnandeer private shipyards under the i of congress.
 The Arry's Great Need.
 The army, whose great need IS | trained men and officers, is employing ! unusual means to prepare for the or ganization and training of any force congress may. authorize. Hundreds or | applicants for commissions m the on rers' reserve corps are being accepted and for the grade of second lieutenant the bars have been let down to men who never had military training More plans than ever have been drawn for training camps for fit ing these officers and others for duty Units of the reserve officers training corps have been established in many colleges where groups Of students are .nder training, and enlisted men who ;ould take commands have been desig- lated flor commissions from every of regulars. Graduation April % of the June class at west Polnt las been ordered by Secretary Baker. |
 For increasing the enlisted strength | vigorous recruiting campaign is un- Ter way with the cooperation or other branches of the government including postal officials all over the country and many patriotic societies. To decen- ralize the military organizations the United States has been divided into fix military districts instead of four, with two extra departments added to he Atlantic coast.
 Enormous Contracts for Army.
 In the matter of supplies, the army S well equipped with rifles and other .quipment for vast army already on .and, enormous contracts have been ,Iaced by the quartermaster's depart nent and the contracts are so that ,ther millions can be spent as soon as appropriated. Clothing manufacturers ave united in eXpediting the making f uniforms as have other concerns in l erial To end a difficulty due to fail I Ire of the army appropriation bill the ederaI reserve board came to the aid f the war department. ordering re- erve banks to discount the quarter master generals pay warrants at cur ent commercial rates.
 Equipment for National Guard. Much of the new equipment will go 0 the national guard, which is being ecruited rapidly and otherwise made [ eady for service, In several states [ he governors have called for Volun- | z eers to bring the guard units up to l laXimum strength. The adjutantS | S eneral of all the states have been or cred to make every preparation for uick mobilization of the state forces. i , or the first time the organiZatin of : nall detached units of this branch of ] ne military has been authorized for he benefit of rural communities. 2
 Plans for Army Expansion. ( The plans for army expansion pre- [ ar N ha faf Ucid l. |