Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-03-30
PREP EPAREDNESS
ARMY MEASURES
TAKING SHAPE
[Republican A. p. Leased wirel


WASHINGTON, March 29.-Plans to
forward further preparedness measures
for the army began to assume definite
form today.
How an increased army force may be
promptly secured for the present emer-
gency as well as universal training as
a national policy We're discussed by
President Wilson with Senator Cham
berlain of Oregon, chairman of the
senate military commission. At the
same time Secretary Barker and ad-
ministratiOn leaders in congress con-
sidered legislation needed Immediately
for the military establishments
Senator Chamberlain told the presi
dent he believed the executive now has
authority without further action by
congress to raise at once an army OF
more than 100000 men, by increasing
the regular army to war strength and
calling out all of the national guard at
war strength.
There was no intimation that the
president was considering such a step
Immediately, but the whole field of
measures necessary to secure a larger
force was discussed.
For present needs the war depart
ment has decided Secretary Baker
said, to submit to congress a budget
containing virtually the same proVis-
ions as the regular army appropriation
bill which failed at the last session.
Estimates for the expense i'll connec
tion with an enlarged army for any
emergency activities will be presented
later. This decision comedies with the
house plan to re-enact the appropria-
ton bill without change and send it at
once to the senate.
Senator Chamberlain also agreed to
expedite the bill in the senate. To this
end he said he would not again offer
his universal training bill as a rider if
it would delay prompt action on the
supply measure.
The conference between the president
and Senator Chamberlain, at the lat
ter's request, was primarily to discuss
the senator's universal training plan.
He asked the president to endores the
general principle of compulsory train
ing in his forthcoming message to con-
gress. The president, it was said, gave
no indication of his probable course.
He was said to favor some plan for
providing military training but was
non-c -committal regarding the chamber
lain plan, to whicn he is understood to
have some objections.
After leaving the White House the
senator said he was still hopefur' of
administration endorsement of his
measure, and also expressed increased
optimism over prospects of passage by
the senate of some form of universal
training measure.
AS a result of his talk with the pres
ident he expects to make several i'm
portant amendments to his Dill, par
ticularly with the idea of increasing the
number of trained soldiers it would
produce in short period.
Another amendment, the senator
said, would be to create SO divisions in
the country for the segregation of the
training work with facilities for train
ing an army division of from $4,000 to
81 1000 men in each divisional camp.
While some of the divisions, Senator
Chamberlain thought, would have lar
ger bodies under training than others,
he believed at least 900 young men
would be thus secured.
The oregon senator impressed upon
the president that his plan would not
entail the enormous expense of the
army general staff training bill. He
estimated that without providing costly
permanent barracks at training camps
and bv having the students live in tents
the annual cost of training 100000 men
would be roughly s156,090,000.
AS to the measures necessary for in
creas1ng the army IN an emergency
Senator Chamberlain, said that under
existing law the president is author
lied to increase the standing army to
it's war strength of 100000, or with
auxiliaries aggregating a regular force
of about 100000. The war strength OF
the national guard was estimated al
about 100000, with all forces fully en-
listed. Thus combined, the senator
said a trained army of nearly three
quarters of million men could be pro-
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