The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-03-08
ITS fame RESTS
ON PREPAREDNESS
Congress That Has lust Passed
Responded to Demand for
Defense Acts.
INCREASED NAVY AND ARMY
Vast Sums Appropriated for Fighting
Vessels-ship Purchase, Child La
Dor, immigration and Other
Important Laws Passed.

Important Laws Passed.
Washington, March 5.-On its re-
Spouse to the popular demand for ma
tiOnal preparedness will rest the fame
of the Sixty-fourth congress, which
has just expired. Though it also en-
acted some economic statutes of great
moment the preparedness measures
stand out above all other legislation
Although ample provision has been
made for Notifications, 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 naval ornaments 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 11S 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 1, 1918 This pro-
gram included this allotment of fight
ing ships: Ten battleships, six battle
cruisers, ten scout cruisers, 30 torpedo
boat destTOyers, nine fleet submarines,
So coast submarines, one experimental
submarine (Neff system), three fuel
ships, one repair ship, one transport,
one hospital ship, two destroyer ten
ders, one feet 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-
ers, 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-
sion provision was made for three bat
tleships, one battle cruiser, three scout
cruisers, 10 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 recognized battle
feet will be appropriated for next
year. Staggering sums have been re-
luired to meet these demands, the ma.
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 expePGi-
lures that the ordinary sources of rev
enue are not sufficient and a special
revenue measure had to be passed.
Representative Kitchin, majority lead
er and chairman of the house ways
and means committee, a small-navy |
man, in drafting the revenue measure |
and pressing it to passage through the |
house charged full responsibility for |
the measure to the advocates of pre-
paredness.
Increase of the Army.
Increases of the regular army and its
congratulations under the national de-
tense act were less striking than the
naval increases. But the regular army |
was increased from an authorized |
peace strength of 100000 to an author
lied peace strength of $4,000, capable
of expansion in war time to 2560OO.
After prolonged agitation for prepared |
ness both on 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 its fleet to |
defend its shores.
In the discussions that preparedness
agitation in congress provoked it was |
again and again demonstrated that the |
temper of the American people is 9b- |
solutely against big standing army. |
Secretary Garrison formulated |
and laid before congress with PreSi- |
dent Wilson's approval a scheme for |
Continental army to be recruited aad ,
trained under the universal military |
training principle. Representative Hay |
of Virginia, then chairman of the pow
erful house military committee, cp- |
posed the Continental army idea and .
for it in the national de- |
Tense act, the liberalization of the Ma !
tional Guard. Mr.. Hay won President |
Wilson over to his way of thinking-the !
Guard became the |
second line of the land defenses and |
Secretary Garrison resigned from the
cabinet.
other Notable Acts.
Although preparedness was the key
note of legislation, the Sixty-fouth
congress found time also to enact a