The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-04-04
DIVIDED INTO FIVE PRINCIPAL
GROUPS, ALL ESSENTIAL TO
SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION
OF HOSTiLiTiES.
LARGE CREDIT TO ALLIES
CONSIDERED BIG GUN
Munitions to Be Kept Going in Large
Quantities to Points Where Most
Needed-UniversaI Military Train
ing to Be Pushed Before
Congress.

Washington, March 24.-The follow
ing account of the program of war
measures is now being considered by
the heads of the government. In Or
der of Importance the preparedness
program falls into five large groups,
viz, financial, naval, economic, mill
tary and POLITICAL:
Financial - A billion dollars credit
to the Allies as soon as the United
States enters the war. The advisers
of the President thoroughly under
stand that when the United States
does enter the war it's biggest gun, at
the beginning at least, will be made
of gold.
Work on U-Boat Chasers Speeded.
Naval-The first care of the depart
ment has been to start the construc-
ton Of as many submarine chasers as
possible and to assemble as mary fleet
motor boats as were available. The
next step is to be the construction
of as many destroyers as can be built,
regardless of cost and considering only
the element of time.
To Keep Munitions Going.
Economic-The government is now
considering under this head making
certain that the first excitement Of
war fever does not result in ham
stringing" the Allies. The fear is that
keen desire to get full supply of mu-
nitions for the American army and
navy will have the effect of restricting
the flow of munitions to the Allies
The idea is to keep the munitions 60
ing where they will do the most good
Other measures being considered
are: To make a census of available
mechanics for army and navy work.
To fill up volunteer corps of labor
reservists, to prepare for conversion
of big automobile and other factories
into munition plants.
Universal Service Immediately.
Military-If the United States de-
termines to raise an army Of any size
there will be no expectation Of bring
ing it to a point of usefulness inside
Of Is months. The only solution, &C
cording to army experts, is conscrip-
ton and universal military training
which will be put up to Congress i'm.
mediately. Conditions in the War de.
partment itself are almost hopeless
The head of the department is pro.
fessed pacifist. The bureaus are shot
through and through with red tape.
Methods which would have been con-
sidered archaic in 1850 by a modern
business institution are still in use.
Renewed Guard Mobilization.
Orders are ready for renewed mobi.
lization of the national guard, but the
purpose behind that is to guard
against possible outbreak of German
sympathizers in this country. Scat
tered as it is the guard is vel, placed
for meeting such contingencies.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of political pre-
paredness fall under two heads, for
eign and domestic. It is certain that
this government will very quickly be
drawn into a military alliance with
the Allies.
On the domestic side the govern
ment is not worried over political prob
lens. The first that will be present
ed is the organization of the new
House of Representatives. That bid:
fair to solve itself very quickly. Thu
Republicans are more than willing tt
see a coalition organization.