Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-03-22

Washington, March 22.-Men-and
more mems the nations call today.
The navy wants them, and the army
will soon need them under an expected
call for volunteers or for compulsory
service. The navy is doing all that
human energy and endurance can &C
complish by way OF speeding its prep
arations. The army waits upon con-
gress, ready to heed what it may say
as to calling men.
Naval military, economic, industrial
and financial preparedness plans, as
formulated by the National Defense
Council and carried out by the govern
ment departments, are claimed to be
as advanced as could be expected at
this time.
FILLING THE RESERVES.
The navy department is crowding
it's recruiting, filling up its various re-
serves. The influx of men under the
stimulus of a patriotic wave gratifies
officials in charge Of work.
Likewise regular army recruiting is
on the increase.
The war department Is prepared to
follow out with vigor any course con-
gress adopts although proponents Of
universal military training fear their
schemes will be blasted in case of a
call for volunteers, inasmuch as a
double system-volunteer and COM
pulsory-cannot be operated at one
time.
BIDS KEPT SECRET.
Bids for submarine chasers will be
augmented by others next week, and
meantime yesterdays bids will be kept
secret so that the new group-largely
western concerns-will not have the
advantage OF advance information on
the eastern prices.
Special attention is given to air.
craft development A meeting to dis
cuss that subject was booked for the
war department today.
Joint control of aviation has been
arranged between the army and navy.
and training of aviators will be I'M
dertaken chiefly along the coasts, so
as to furnish both land and water
works.
QUESTION OF MUNITIONS.
Another subject now coming to the
fore, is standardization of munitions.
Up to today there had been no ac-
tual call for mobilization of naval mill
tia or of the Atlantic fleet, but there
were increasing signs that such must
soon be accomplished. Moreover, APP
parently the government is now pro-
ceeding with plans for cooperation
between it's navy and the allied fleets.
Admittedly there must be some sort
of working agreement so that there
will be no interference between the
two groups, though the American
navy will probably pay its chief atten-
ton to service against Germany in
areas not far beyond the United States
coast.
FOR DUTY WITH FLEET.
Recruits are being rushed through
the naval training stations post haste
for immediate duty with the fleet. The
navy department announced today that
it had suspended the requirements for
five months training for recruits in
order to man the fleets with all posi-
BILE speed.
Though recruiting is on the upgrade,
there must be more of 1t, and quickly,
the department announced.
Daniels figures show the present
enlisted strength of the navy at $1,000
men on March IA. of which 5454 have
enlisted since Jan. /. The net gain
for the last month was 1947.
The department today emphasized
the latitude of the naval service, point
ing out particularly that under the
new regulations governing entrance at
Annapolis, 100 enlisted men are eligi-
BILE for appointment each year at the
academy.
Daniels said chances of promotion
are very high at the present time"
The enlistment period is for four