New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-13
Will Soon Have 800 Sta
tions Working to Fill
Complement
HOUSE BILL REACHES
FINAL VOTE TO-DAY
Authorizes Battle-Cruiser,
Three Battleships and
IS Submarines
From The Tribune Bureau


Washington. Feb. 12.-The Bureau Of
Navigation of the Navy Department IS
making unusual efforts TO get recruits.
The task is that of obtaining the add
tional enlisted men represented by the
increase authorized in the act OF Au-
gust 90, 19l6-26,456 in number, which
would bring the total complement TO
1886.
In the short period in which it has
been possible to give special attention
to this problem gratifying results have
been achieved. There are now 200 re-
cruiting stations in operation, and an
additional 100 will soon be opened
There will be. as we'll, forty-eight per-
manent travelling parties. one for each
state.
Then. too. the various ships will have
recruiting parties to obtain enlistments
wherever they may be. Already several
vessels have made an excellent showing
in this regard. The U. ). >. Pennsyl-
vania achieved the best record at New
York during the holiday lay-up. Inc
Nebraska obtained eighteen men in a
month near Boston, while the Wheel
iug. at New Orleans, recruited sixteen
men. The receiving ships are sending
out parties 10 cover thoroughly the ter.
ritory in their neighborhoods; thus, IN
the Southern division, there has been
an increase from twenty-eight to nine
ty-three parties. During the last week
$50 men have been received at regular
stations and 1856 by ships and at navy
yards.
1866 1000, 900 Naval Bill
Consideration of the annual naval
bill, appropriating about s365,OOO,OOO,
10 continue the building programme
and carrying various emergency pro
visions requested by the Admlnistra-
ton TO meet the international crisis,
virtually was completed IN the House
to-day. and the bill will be brought to
a final vote tomorrow.
Under q special rule an Administra-
ton amendment giving authority TO
take over private shipbuilding plants IN
time Of stress was adopted, and the
construction authorization for the COM
ing wear as agreed on in committee was
approved. The section authorizes one
battle-cruiser, three battleships, eigh-
teen submarines and twenty vessels Of
other types.
An amendment 10 increase the num-
Der Of submarines from eighteen TO
fifty was rejected, as was an amend
ment TO substitute for the bill the
General Boards programme OF two bat
tle-c1uisers, four battleships, four
scout-cruisers, twenty destroyers, one
DESTROYER tender, one submarine ten
der. eighteen coast submarines and nine
feet submarines. An amendment to
provide for one battleship only, in
stead of the three in the bill, and
thirty submarines, instead of eighteen,
was rejected.
More Money for Navy Yards
Only two amendments remained to
he disposed of when the House ad-
iourned. and they will be voted on at
the start Of to-morrows session. They
are the proposals for $4,000, 900 adj
ditional appropriation TO fit navy yards
for construction and for an appropria-
ton of Sl.O00,000 TO purchase basic
patents of aircraft Both were recon.
mended by Secretary Daniels and are
expected 20 pass.
Before the amendment providing for
taking over private plants was adopted
the House struck out a specific au-
thorization for suspending eight-hour
labor regulations i'm emergency. The
provision was rejected on the ground
that navy officials already have that
authority