The Dolores star., 1917-03-09
.D0lN6S Of THE
LITE CONGRESS
AUTHORIZED 4 GREAT NAVY
prOssSed Alec Tor Inessass an1 Rsev.
OnNlEatien Of Anny-sems u the
aeeNssntous Eeenosnle Statutes
That Were passsd.


Washington, March 6.-The Sixty.
fourth congress. which has passed into
the annals Of things that were. win be
long remembered rs the congress
which responded to the demand for
national preparedness. While eco
nomic statutes Of Nth and moment
have been written into the Law OF the
land, preparedness measures, inspired
By the European war, out-top al other
legislation.
Although ample provision has been
made for fortificntions, and authority
has been granted By congress to more
than double the standing army Of the
country, the metamorphosis Of the
United States from a commercial to
fighting nation has been wrought
by the naval increases authorized.
The congress now expired has au-
thorized navnI ornaments destined to
make Uncle Sam eventually the peer
81 any nntIon on earth in sea power,
excepting, perhaps, Great Britain.
In the two sessions comprising the
Sixty-fourth congress there have
been authorized and appropriated for
no less than 11S war craft. Nor Is
this all. The first session afiopted a
three-year- building program, the con.
struction OF which should be under-
taken prior to July i. 1918. This pro-
gram included this allotment Of fight.
Ing ships: Ten battleships, six battle
cruisers, ten scout cruisers. 30 torpedo-
boat destroyers, nine feet submarines,
So coast submarines. one experimental
submarine (Neff system). three fuel
ships, one repair shin. one TRANSPORT.
one hospital ship, two DESTROYER ten.
ders. one fleet submarine. tender. two
ammunition ships. two eunboats.
Naval vssssIs Appropriated For.
BY the act which adopted This buiId.
Ing program congress appropriated
for four battleships. four hattie cruis-
ers, four scout cruisers 20 destroyers.
% submarines, and one each of these
craft: Experimental submarine. fuel
shin. hospital shin. ammunition sbip
and Runboat During tbe second aes-
sion provision was made for three hat.
tleshlps. one battle cruiser. three scout
cruisers. Is deetroyers. one DESTROYER
tender. one submarine tender and. IL
submarines.
n the Sixty-flfth congress adoptI the
three-year program the remainder OF
the units for the reorganixed battle
feet win be appropriafed for next
year. Staggering sums have been re-
ouired to meet these demands. the m.
val appropriation for the second SEES
sion OF the expired congress alone
amounting to almost a round half.bil.
lion dollars.
So great have been these expendf.
lures that the ordinary sources OF rev
enue are not sufficient and specisl
revenue measure had to be passed.
Representative Kitchin, majority lead
ar and chairman of the house ways
and means committee. small-nayy
man. in drafting the revenue measure
ana pressine II TO passage through the
bouse charged full responsibility for
the measure to the advocates of pre-
naredness
lnerease Of the Army.
Increases Of the regular army and its
representations under the national de-
fense act were less striking than the
naval increases. But the regular army
was Increased from an authorized
neSce strength Of 100. 600 tn mn author.
lied peace strength Of 216OOO. canable
Of expansion in war time to 25e 600,
After prolonged agitation for prepared-
ness hoth nm land and sea. the consen-
sus of the military experts was that the
United States with Its enormous length
Of coast line must rely on ia Acct ia
defend its shores.
In the discussions that preparedness
agitation in congress provoked II was
again and again demonstrated that the
| temper OF the American people IA alb.
solutely against a big standing army,
| Former Secretary Garrison formulated
and laid before congress with Presi.
| dent wilson's approval a scheme for q
| Continental army to be recruited and