The Carlisle independent., 1917-03-08
DO|NGS 0F TIE
 LATE CONGRESS
Notable for Response to the De-
 mand for Preparedness.
AUTHORIZED A GREAT NAVY
Provided Also for Increase and Reor- ganization of Army-Some of the Momentous Economic Statutes
 That Were Passed.

Washington, March 5.-The Sixty i fourth congress, which has passed into 1 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 pith and moment have been written into the law of the l land. preparedness measures, inspired l by the European war, out-top all other l 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 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 11S war craft. Nor is this all. The first session adopted 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, 30 torpedo boat destroyers, 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 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- sion provision was made for three bat tleships, one battle cruiser, three scout
 
 tender, one submarine tender and IS submarines.
 If the Sixty-ffth 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 ex1endi- 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 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- 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 ized peace strength of 216,O00, capable of expansion in war time to 256, 900. 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 fleet to defend it's shores.
 In the discussions that preparedness agitation in congress provoked it was again and again demonstrated that the temper of the American people is ab- solutely against a big standing army. Former Secretary Garrison formulated and laid before congress with Presi- dent Wilson's approval a scheme for Continental army to be recruited and trained under the universal military training principle. Representative Hay 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. MT. Hay won President 1 Wilson over to his way of thinking-the l Federalized National Guard became the second line of the land defenses and Secretary Garrison resigned from the 1 cabinet.
 Other Notable Acts.
 Although preparedness was the key note of legislation, the Sixty-fourth congress found time also to enact a ship purchase bill, the Adamson eight hour railroad law. child labor law, a measure to forbid the immigration of illiterate aliens, a rural credits bill, a vocational educational bill and an act I reorganizing the government of Porto Rico and extending citizenship to the | islanders.
 The ship purchase bill established | government shipping board to su- l pervise shipping matters generally. It | appropriotad S50 0OO OUD to be Ob-