Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-03-25
lay MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WIRE

Washington. March 24.--Having
taken virtually every defense meas
ure possible before the assembling Of
congress, President Wilson and his
advisers in the executive branch OF
the government are concentrating
their efforts to prepare for more
sweeping steps. for which congress
sional authority will be sought.
Details of the steps to be recon-
mended are held in closest confidence.
but officials let it be known today
that among the rest general mill
tary budget, oo-ordinating many items
of expense deemed imperative, will
be laid before the house and senate
when the extra session begins
Defense Council Confcrs.
During the day the council of ma
tional defense held long conference
with its advisory committee of seven
industrial leaders, who mapped out
mobilization plans for the countrys
economic resources; the navy depart
ment awarded contracts for twenty
four destroyers. and called q confer
ence OF steel and other material COM
panies for next week to consider
means of speeding naval construc-
ton; the war department announced
that failure of the army appropriation
bill at the last session of congress
would not be permitted to handicap
the army's preparations; and regula-
tions were promulgated to guide the
country's newspapers in a voluntary
censorship preventing publication of
details which might embarrass the
government.
With these developments President
Wilson kept in close touch. Late ins
the afternoon, after q walk, he and !.
Mrs. Wilson went to the state. navyl
and war building and paid visits to
Secretaries Baker and Daniels at their
offices. The talk with the war Sec
retary lasted nearly an hour.
Order More Destroyers.
In making awards on destroyers to-
day, Secretary Daniels accepted the
maximum estimate of each of the
three companies submitting figures.
OF the twenty-four ordered, nine will
be built under the emergency fund.
congress having specifically author
lied only fifteen. A considerable
number of other builders were in con-
rra0ce with officials however, and
Iu'JnN' IONS are todays order will be
"aui laa or even trebled IL facilities
rar obstruction of the vessels can be
found.
Regarding activities of the war de-,
partment, Secretary Baker made this
statement;
War Department Prepares.
"Of course everybody knows that
the international situation is tense.
The war department, like every other
department Of the government, is
busy with state of preparation, but
without attempt on the part of the
department or anybody else to deter
mine what that preparation is for, ex-
cept to put our national strength in q
state of efficiency.
Everybody realizes that this is AZ
sort Of unnatural situation. We are
making preparations and buying sup
plies and all that sort of thing, and
yet the policy of the country is still
to be determined by the legislative
body. and just what will happen is
to be determined by the president and
congress.
''All that you can say of the var
department is that it is pressing ahead
all purchases of everything that will
be needed to keep an army, il the
army is to be called upon"
Make Record Time.
In awarding contracts for the twen-
ty-four destroyers on the same day
that bids were opened, the navy de-
partment established a precedent All
of the vessels, which will duplicate
the 35-knot type already building, will
be built upon basis of cost plus 10
per cent profit Contracts for ten
went to the Union Iron Works, San
Francisco; eight to the Fore River
Shipbuilding company, Quincy, Mass,
and six to William Cramp & Sons,
Philadelphia.
Emergency funds provided by con-
gress are to be used in hurrying these
and other naval vessels to complex
tion. builders engaged on battle
cruiser contracts conferred with the
compensation board today, which viii
allot the emergency appropriation.
Council in session.
The council of national defense and