The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-05
1l6s PREPARED
To MEET EVERY
6IlEaGtN'y
Machinery Ready for Quick
Disposition Of Extraor-
dinaiy Measures.
PARTiSANSHlP HAS
BEEN CAST ASIDE
Increases for Both Defense
Branches Already Under
Consideration.

washington. Feb 4. - Congress.
aroused to patriotic support Of the
president. calmly awaits development,
lin the diplomatic breach with Ger
many.
Ready to. act quickly and adequately
In any emergency. administration lead,
ers are In constant touch with exec
utive departments. with legislative ma
chipery prepared far expeditions dis,
position Of extraordinary revenue and
defense measures.
While hopeful. that the break will not
force the United States into war. lead
ers already have cast partisanship
aside.
Important measures bearing on the
situation already are under, considera-
tion In both houses, among them the,
annual naval appropriation bill. 10,
(which emergency amendments have,
heen proposed since the president nd !
dressed congress yesterday. The bill.
carrying more than $35O. 900 for
naval maintenance ana construction.
win he taken up again Tuesday. with
a prospect OF passage hefere adjourn
nent that night.
hurry Naval construetion.
An amendment "a Be offered by Rep
resentativc Dritten or Illinois would
appropriate an additional $4,000, 900
for the immediate completion of 1l3
war vessels already authorized and
now in various stages Of construction
in government and private yards. An
other. suggested by Secretary Daniels
and shaped by Representative Padgett.
l chairman Of the naval committee.
would empower the president to com
| nandeer private shipbuilding yards
and munition plants whenever in his
opinion the interest Of the country re-
quires such action.
Speaker Clark and other house lead :
ers tonight said they believed that the
amendments would be, adopted.
In addition to the regular appropria- :
tion bin there is pending In the senate
an amendment presented by Senator
Poindexter. providing for immediate
construction of 100 submarines in ad
dition to II carried in the regular ap-
preparation bill. ,
| Will Strengthen Army.
The crisis also finds the house mill
tary committee ready with the current
army bill. carrying t27 5.OO0.00 subject
however. to any change that exigencie.
may demand.
Under existing law the president ha.
authority to increase the regular arm!
to full war strength Of 2S6.0OO officer
and men In case Of war or threatened
warS He also asked authority to cal
. on the national guard. now havinl
some $4,000 available men. Under tn
law the guards fun strength. 100000
cannot be acquired until the expira
tion of four years.
!, Emergency military defense change
, viii be urged in case of hoatiiitics.
; To safeguard interests Of the nntio
, against conspiracics. consideration
being rushed In the senate OF meas
!. ures suggested by the attorney gen
r leral to strengthen the statutes unde
: (which prosecutions may be brougt
; against offenders within the Unite
/ States. who further The interests {
foreign governments.
. The, Judiciary committee Of the sen
:; ate. urged to action by the admins
tration. will meet tomorrow to consid
= Ter favorable report from sub com
: mittec on II of these measures.