Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-03-29
WILSON WILL ASK
CONGRESS FOR
MORE AUTHORITY
President Has Taken Every De-
tense Move Possible.
S0LONS TO MEET NEXT WEEK
Nations Executive and His Advisors
Concentrating Efforts for More
Sweeping War Steps, for Which
Congressional Authority
Will Be Asked.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Washington, March 26-Having ia
ken virtually every defense measure
possible before the assembling Of con
grpss, PreSid; mt Wilson and his ad,
YiSers in the executive branch OF the
government are concentrating their ef
ortS to prepare for the more sweeping
steps for wi. h congressional author,
Try VIII Oe Sought.
The final step in the defense plans
taken by the president was his decisiCE'
10 call out the National Guard from
the eastern states. Other units may be
ralled out later,
The details Of the steps to be recon.
nended TO congress are held in closest
confidence but officials let t be known
that among the resi- a general military
budget cO-Ordinating many items of
expense deemed imperative, will be
laid before The house and senate when
the extra session begins week from
today.
Busy Day Put In.
During the day the council of ma
fional defense held a long conference
With its advisory committee of seven
Industrial leaders who mapped out
mobilization plans for the countrye
economic resources; the navy depart
nRnt awarded contracts for "a de.
Stroyers. and called a conference OF
steel and other material companies
for next week to consider means OF
speeding naval construction, and the
war department announced that fail,
ure Of the army appropriation bin a
the last session of congress would not
be permitted to handicap the armyS
preparations.
Regulations We're promulgated to
guide the cOuntry'S newspapers in &
voluntary censorship preventing publ,
cation of details which might EN-
barrasS the government.
Department in Order.
With these developments President
Wilson kept in close personal touch.
Late in the afternoon. after a walk, he
went TO the state, navy and war build
ng and visited Secretary Baker and
Secretary Daniels at their offices. The
nearly an hour.
Regarding the activities of the war
department. Secretary Baker made
this statement 70 the newspaper men:
"Of course, everybody knows that
he international situation is tense.
The war department. like every other
department OF the government. is
UuSy With state or preparation. nul
without attempt on the part of the de
partment or anybody else to determine
what that preparation is for, except to
put our national strength in state of
efficiency.
"Everyhody realizes this is sort of
unnatural situation. We are making
preparations and buying supplies and
Ill that sort Of things, and yet the pol
icy of the country is still to be de
termined by the legislative body, and
lust what will happen is to be deter
mined by the president ond congress.
"All that you can say of the war de
partment is that it is pressing ahead
all purchases of everything that will
he needed to keep an army. if the
army is 10 he called upon"
Supplies Orders Placed.
Contracts for quartermaster's sup
plies. such as clothing, shoes. tentage.
etc, have been placed up to the limit
Of available funds, with a provision for
the automatic extension of the orders
on large scale as soon as additional
funds are available.
In this connection it was stated Off
sally that the country was in a better
position TO get quickly an adequate
supply of army rifles than ever before
in its history.
The general military budget to be
laid before congress is expected To in
| clude many army measures which
| failed ar the last session, and which
| now are being restudied and co-ordi-
--.@1 The nature Of any reeomln end end