The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-26
General Measure Is to Go
Before Congress When 1t
Meets Next Monday
NAVY ORDERS "a
NEW DESTROYERS
Contracts for Supplies Are
Placed Up to the Limit
of Available Funds

Washington March 26.-Having takeI
Itually every defense measure possibl
lefore the assembling OF Congress, presi
dent Wilson and his advisers are con
centrating their efforts to prepare TO
the more sweeping steps for which cor
gressional authority will be sought.
The details of the steps to be recon-
mended are held in closest confidence
but Washington officials let it be known
Saturday that among the rest a genera
military budget, co-ordinatiing many
items of expense deemed imperative
will be laid before the House and Senat.
when the extra session begins a week
from to-day.
! During the day the council of national
defense held a long conference with its
advisory committee of seven industrial
leaders who have mapped out mobiliza.
ton plans for the country's economic re-
sources; the navy department awarded
contracts for "a destroyers and called a
conference of steel and other material
companies for next week to consider
means of speeding naval construction ;
the war department announced that fail
ure of the army appropriation bill at the
last session OF Congress would not be
permitted to handicap the army's prep
arations, and regulations were promul
gated TO guide the country's newspapers
in voluntary censorship preventing
publication of details which might en-
barrass the government.
| With these developments President
Wilson Kept in close personal touch.
Late Saturday afternoon, after a walk,
he and Mrs. Wilson went to the state,
war and navy building and paid visits to
Secretary Baker and Secretary Daniels
at their offices The talk with the war
secretary lasted nearly an hour.
In making the awards on destroyers
Saturday, Secretary Daniels accepted the
maximum estimate Of vessels of each OF
the three companies submitting figures.
OF the "a ordered, nine will be built I'M
der the emergency fund, Congress having
specifically authorized only Is. A con
siderable number OF other builders were
in conference with officials, however, and
indications are that Saturdays order will
be doubled or even trebled if facilities
for construction of the vessels can he
found.
Regarding the activities Of the war de.
partment. Secretary Baker made this
statement to the newspaper men:
"Of course everybody knows that the
international situation is tense. The war
department, like every other department
of the government, is busy with state
Of preparation but without attempt on
the part of the department or anybody
else to determine what that preparation
is for. except to put our national
strength in state of efficiency.
Everybody realizes that this is a sort
of unnatural situation. We are making
preparations and buying supplies and all
that sort OF thing. and vet the policy OF
the country is still to be determined by
the legislative body and Just what will
happen Is to be determined by the presi
dent and Congress.
"All that you can say of the war de-
partment is that il is pressing ahead all
purchases of everything that will be
needed to equip an army if the army is |
to be called upon"
In awarding contracts for the "a de |
stroyers on the same day that bids were |
opened, the navy department established |
a precedent for quick action. All of the /
vessels, which viii duplicate the 35knot
type already building. will he built ON a
basis Of cost plus 10 per cent profit. Con
tracts for 10 went to the Union Iron |
Works, San Francisco; eight to the Fore
River Shipbuilding company. Quincy,
Mass. and six TO William Crautp & Sons,
Emergency funds provided by Congress
are to be used in hurryin1 these and 1
Dther naval vessels to completion. Build H
srs engaged on battle cruiser contracts
onferred during the day with the COM
renaation board which will sllot the
,mcrLency appropriation.
Tie council of national iefense and
lie advisory committee were in session
virtually all day considering reports on
What has been accomplished 1t was
,tated that an official attached TO the
committee. retired business man of
vide experience recently had spent sew
raj weeks in the quartermaster's dc
,artment going over the army purehas-
ng system. As a result of his study he
las reported to Secretary Baker that ne
vas filled with admiration for the oih-
iency, zeal and adequacy of the service.
Contracts for quartermaster's supplies,
UGH as clothing, shoes. tentare, etc,
ave been placed up to the limit OF
vailable funds, with a provision for the
automatic extension OF the orders on a
arge scale as soon as additional FUNDS