The Dermott news., 1917-03-08
ITS FAME RESTS
 ON PAREDNESS
Congress That Has Just Passed Responded to Demand for
 Defense Acts.
INCREASED NAVY AND ARMY
Vast Sums Appropriated for Fighting Vessels-Ship Purchase, Child La bor, immigration and Other
 Important Laws Passed.


 bor, Immigration and Other
 Important Laws Passed.
 Washington, March 5.-On it's re sponse to the popular demand for na- tionnl preparedness will rest the fame of the Sixtyfourth congress. which has just expired. Though II also en- acted some economic statutes of grcut moment, the preparedness measures stand out above all other legislation.
 Although ample provision has been nade for Qualifications. and authority aas been granted by congress to more | than double the standing army of the country, the metamorphosis of the | United States from a commercial to a fighting nation has been wrought | 1y the naval increases authorized. | The congress now expired has aus l horized naval armaments destined to make Uncle Sam eventually the peer If any nation on earth in sea power, excepting, perhaps. Great Britain. In the two sessions comprising the SiNty-fourth congress there have been authorized and appropriated for no less than llS war craft. Nor Is this all The first session adopted l three-y yearbuilding program, the con struetion of which should be under taken prior to July l. 1918 This pro gram included this allotment of fight ng ships: Ten battleships. six battle cruisers, len scout cruisers. 5o torpedo l boat destroNcrS. nine fleet submarines, lS coast submarines. one experimental submarine tNef system). three fuel ships. one repair ship, one transport. me hospital ship, two destroyer ten lerS. one fleet submarine tender. two ammunition ships, two gunhoats. Naval Vessels Appropriated For. RN the net which adopted this build Ing program congress appropriated for four hattleships. four battle cruiS- ars four scout cruisers, 70 destroyerS, }d submarines. and one each of these raft. Experimental submarine, fuel ship, hospital ship ammunition ship and suuboat. During the second SeS- sion provision was made for three bat tlcShipS, one battle cruiser, three scout sfuiSerS. la deStraNers, one destroyer tender, one submarine tender and lS submarines
 If the sixty fifth congress adopts thc
 hree year program the remainder of
 he units for the rcorganizcd battle aeet Wlll be appropriated for next year. Staggering suns have been re- lpired to meet these demands, the mn. val appropriation for the second seS- i sion ot the expired congress alone amounting to almost round half bill ion dollars
 So great have been these eXpcndi, lures that the ordinary sources of rev enuc are not sufficient and Il special revenue measure had to be passed Representative kitchin, majority lead er and chairman of the house wnys and means committee, small-navy man. In drafting the revenue measure and pressing it to passage through the house charged fuu responsibility for the measure to the advocates of pre- parcdness.
 Increase Of the Army.
 Increases of the regular army and it's congratulations under the national de- fense act were less striking than the naval increases. Hut the regular army was increased from an authorized peace strength of lo0O0 to an author ized peace strength of 2l6 GOO capable of expansion In war time to 256. .eoO After prolonged agitation for prepared ness both on land and sea. the consen- Sus of the military experts was that the United States with It's enormous length of coast line must rely on Its fleet to defend its shores.
 In the discussions that preparedness agitation in congress provoked II was again and again demonstrated that the temper of the American people Is ab- solutely against big standing army Former Secretary Garrison formulated and lald before congress with Presi l dent Wilson's approval scheme for n | Continental army to he recruited and trained under the universal military training principle. Representative Hay 1 of Virginia. then chairman of the pow erful house military committee. op- posed the Continental army idea and substituted for it in the national de | fense act the liberalization of the Ma tional Guard. Mir. Hay won President | Wilson over to his way of thinking-the i Federulized National Guard became the second line of the land defenses and l In nrrtG h.. cabinet.
 Other Notable Acts.
 Although preparedness was the key note of legislation, the Sixty-fourth l congress found time also to enact n l ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~S~~~~~~~~~~~