The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-03-08
.DOINGS Of THE
LATE CONGRESS
Notable for Response to the De-
mand for Preparedness.
AUTHORIZED A GREAT NAVY
Provided Also for Increase and Reor.
sanization Of Army-some Of the
MomentoUs Economic Statutes
That Were Passed.

Momentous Economic Statutes
That Were Passed.
| Washington, March 5.-The Sixty
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
nOmlc statutes of pith 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 Qualifications. and authority
has been granted by congress to more
than double the standing army of the
country the metamOrphosls of the
United States from commercial TO
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-f0urth 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 l. 1918. This pro-
gram included this allotment of fight
ing ships: Ten battleshipS, six battle
cruisers. ten scout cruisers, 80 torpedo
boat destTOyers, nine fleet submarines,
5S 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 bnttleshipS, 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 gunb0at. During the seco"d ses-
sion provision was made for three bat
tleships, one battle cruiser. three scout
cruisers, 15 destroyers, one destroyer
tender, one submarine tender and IS
| submarines.
If the SiXty-fifth congress adOEts the
three-year program the remainder of
the units for the reorganized cattle
feet will be appropriated for next
year. Staggering sums have been re-
quired to meet these demands, the ma
val appropriation for the second ses-
sion of the expired congress alone
amounting to almost round halF-bil-
lion dollars.
So great have been these exprndt-
lures that the ordinary sources of rev.
enue are not sufficient and q special
revenue measure had to be passed..
Representative Kitchin. majority lead.
er and chairman of the house ways
and means committee, small-navy
man, in drafting the revenue measure
and pressing 1t 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 it's
reOrganizatiOnS under the national de-
fense 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 216,O00, capable
Of expansion in war time to 256,O00.
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 it's deet to
defend its shores.
In the discussions that prepaI edness
agitation In congress provoked 1t was
again and again demonstrated that the
teLoper of the American people is alb
SOlulcly against big standing army.
Former Secretary Garrison forir ulated
AND laid before congress with Presi-
dent Wilson's approval scheme for
Continental army TO be recruited and
trained under the universal military
training principle. Representative Hay
of Virginia, then chairman of tAe pow
erful house military committee, Op-
posed the Continental army IDEA and
substituted for it in the natiC5al de-
Tense act the liberalization of fAe Ma
tiOnal Guard Mr.. Hay won President
Wilson over to his way of thinking-the
Federalized National Guard became the
second line of the land defenses and
Secretary GGrri"on resigned from the
cabinet.
Other Notable Acts.
Although preparedness WAS the key
note of legislation, the Sixty-fOurth
congress found time also to enact
hip purchase bill. the Adamson eight
our railroad law, a child labor law. a
:saHsure to forbid the immigration of
iraterate aliens, a rural credits bill,
vocational educational bill ana an act
reOrganiZing the government of Porto
Rico and extending citizenship to the
islanders.
The ship purchase bill established
Il government shipping board to ,su.
pGrvise shipping matters generally. II
appropriated $l0,000O00 to he OBJ.
tained from the sale Of Panama canal
bonds for the purchase or construction
MUCH IN LITTLE
According TO Josephus the walnut
krn f1I non.l,.