Licking Valley courier., 1917-04-12
RUSH WORK TO
GET WARFORcE
Every Agency Of Government
Busy With Measures to
Hasten Equipment.
Big CONTRACTS ARRANGED
Enormous Quantities Of Supplies Need
ed for Rotb Army and Navy
Radio Stations Seized for Use
of Government, Some Closed.

DAY OF war WIN Germdny lOfhu O'ei!
government agency In action along
predetermined lines, with oppression
al committees at work on the new
army bill and finance measures.
The navy and its newly organized
power boat coast patrol squadron
were being mobillzed; naval militia
and naval reserves were complying
with orders to join the colors.
The coast and geodetic survey, now
under the department OF commerce
will be put under the navy department
as soon as necessary congressional au'
thority can be obtained. Tie survey.
headed by DR.. e. Lester Jbnes, per-
forms valuable maritime work, includ-
ing the preparation Of charts 1t owns
several vessels.
Officials had about determined to use
the German merchant ships, pearly 100
of which have been seized, fpr govern
ment service, though no announcement
was made whether they woipd be CON
fiscated or paid for at the clpse Of the
i.
war.
- No Volunteer Regiment.
y Heads of the army and nayy depart
ments have decided that there will be
no acceptances of service outside the
regular army and navy lists or the
qualified state guard. Under this poll
cy volunteer regiments or other divi-
siOns of service will not be Recognized.
All patriotic Americans who wish to
fight for their country therefore should
join the regularly established military
or naval forces.
The decision is in Keeping with the
determination to let the army and
navy. under the command Of officers
on whose education and training the
gapernment has spent Inillsek af dol
lars, conduct the fighting and select
and train the men with whom they
are to do the job. Civilian outsiders
will have no voice in military or naval
affairs, at least until all means Of
filling and offering the regular forces
are exhausted -
This is taken to mean that II will be
six months at least before citizens can
be commissioned to places In the army
or navy. t,
Any plan of cOnscriptiOn will be bit
terly fought. It's opponents claim II
has no place until voluntary enlist
ments are exhausted.
Plans of the house leaders were for
brief session to concur In the SEN
ate amendment TO the general def
cheney bill providing a special war fund
of S100,000,000 for disposal by the
president, and then another adjourn
| ment until next Thursday to permit
the committees to frame the>war leg
islation.
Representative Ralney Of Illinois,
ranking Democrat of the way and
means committee, in the absence of
Representative kltchin. will Act as
majority leader and meanwhile will
confer with Secretary McAdoo on
finance measures.
Senator Weeks Of Massachusetts
Republican member of the banking
committee, declared in statement
that the hest obtainable advice should
be obtained by the government before
II undertakes to finance the war.
"If these operations are wisely un
dertoken there will, In my opinion, be
| no difficulty In obtaining all the finan
cial support necessary on reasonable
basis" said he.
81 think the president should cnl
for the best obtainahle advice before
any financial operations are undertake
en-. If this is neglected and an at
tempt Is made to place the govern
ment bonds in haphazard way,
am confident that the market will h,
very seriously injured and the gov
ernment will be the sufferer. This Il
not n time for rewardlng anyone who's,
services may he required by the gov
ernment; there Is time for dis
regarding skilled services because o
prejudice or for any other purpose.
Radio Stations Seized.
Government seizure of all radio sta
, tlons and the closing Of oil except thos
needed for naval communication wa
authorized by President Wilson.
, Both the war and navy department
were arranging with contractors 4
furnish enormous quantities of SUP
plies; steel manufacturers agreed I
furnish the navy their product ut las
years prices, effectlng an $lS,OOO,OO
, saving In the navy's 1917 steel bill
the treasury department devised mean
Of raising funds, subject tn congre'
slonal authorization and the depnr
r mcnt Of agriculture set forth ON
D movement to increase and conserve III
: nations supply Of foodStuffs and
: simplify distribution. Many othC
= similar activities were started nft,
= the cabinets council of war lust nigh
The house military committee m,
to hear Secretary Bakers explNnatiu
Of the army general stuir bill TO dra
e and train 1,0OO0OO young men with
r n year and the accompanying S3O0C
i 100000 budget, all OF which had Pres
g dent Wilson's announced approval. n
Q senate military committee also la
I, tho nrmV hill unupr consideration