Tombstone epitaph., 1917-03-11
|OO|NGS OF THE
 LATE CONGRESS
Notable for Response to the De.
 mand for Preparedness.
AUTHORIZED A GREAT NAVY
Provided Also for Increase and Reor. sanixation of Army-some Of the Momentous Economic Statutes
 That Were Passed.

fourth congress, which has passed into the annals of things that were, will be long remembered as the congress which responded to the demand for national preparedness. While eco homie statutes of piih and moment have been written into the law of the land. preparedness measures, inspired by the European war, out-top all other legislation.
 Although ample provision has been made for Notifications, and authority has been granted by congress to more country, the metamorphosis of the United States from commercial to a fighting nation has been wrought by the naval increases authorized. The congress now expired has au- thorized naval armaments destined to make Uncle Sam eventually the peer of any nation 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 HIS war craft. Nor is this all. The first session adopted a three-year-building program. the con- struction of which should be under taken prior to July l. 1918. This pro- gram included this allotment of fight ing ships: Ten battleships, six battle cruisers. ten scout cruisers, 90 torpedo boat destroyers, nine fleet submarines, 5S coast submarines. one experimental submarine tNeff system), three fuel ships, one repair ship, one transport. one hospital ship, two destroyer ten ders, one fleet submarine tender, two ammunition ships. two gunboats.
 Naval Vessels Appropriated For. By the act which adopted this build. Ing program congress appropriated for four battleships, four battle cruis- CTS, four scout cruisers, 20 destroyers, 30 submarines. and one each of these craft: Experimental submarine, fuel ship, hospital ship, ammunition ship and gunboat. During the second ses- Sioii pioNiSioh was 1ci out' tleships, one battle cruiser, three scout cruisers, 15 destroyers, one destroyer tender. one submarine tender and IS submarines.
 If the Sixty-fifth congress adopts the three-year program the remainder of the units for the reorganized battle fleet will be appropriated for next year. Staggering sums have been re Quired to meet these demands, the na val appropriation for the second ses sion of the expired congress alone | amounting to almost a round half-bil lion dollars.
 So great have been these expendi lures that the ordinary sources of rev enue are not sufficient and a special revenue measure had to be passed Representative Kitchin, majority lead CT and chairman of the house way. and means committee, small-navy man, in drafting the revenue measure and pressing 1t to passage through th' house charged full responsibility fol the measure % the advocates of pre- pareGness.
 | increase of the Army. | Increases of the regular army and 1t reorganizations under the national de naval increases. But the regular arm. was increased from an authorizes peace strength of 100000 to an author ized peace strength of 2i60O0, capabl of expansion in war time to 2J6,OD After prolonged agitation for prepared ness both on land and sea, the consen sus of the military experts was that tn United States with its enormous lengtl of coast line must rely on its fleet | defend its shores.
 In the discussions that preparedness agitation in congress provoked it Wa again and again demonstrated that tn temper of the American people is al sOlutely against big standing army Former Secretary Garrison formulate and laid before congress with Presi dent Wilson's approval a scheme for Continental army to be recruited an trained under the universal militar training principle. Representative Ha | Ol tfitn oi tiiN Po" erful house military committed, or posed the Continental army idea an substituted for 1t in tho national dc fense act, the liberalization of the Ma tional Guard. Mir. Hay won Presiden Wilson over to his way of thinking-th Federalized National Guard became tn
 second line of the land defenses an
 Secretary Garrison resigned from tn cabinet.
 Other Notable Acts.
 Although preparedness was the key
 note of legislation, the Sixty-fOurt congress found time also to enact
 ship purchase bill. the Adamson eighi hour railroad law, a child labor law, measure to forbid the immigration c
 miterate aliens, a rural credits bill,
 vocational educational bill and an at recognizing the government of Port Rico and extending citizenship to tn
 islanders.
 The ship purchase bill establishe a government shipping board to s. pervise shipping matters generally.
 appropriated $5O.O00.000 to be ol tained from the sale of Panama cans
 bonds for the purchase or constructio