Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-14
BILLION DOLLAR
URGENT DEFICIENCY
BILL IN CONGRESS
Largest Measure Of It's Kind Fs-
vorably Reported Today With
a Half Billion Cut.
$40, 100000 FOR DRAFT WORK
ny Associated Press 70 Every Eveninr

WASHINGTON. Feb. 10
A billion dollar Urgent Deficiency
Appropriation bill. the largest of its kind
in the history Of Congress, although cut
n half billion from original ostirnat9s,
was favorably reported % tho House %
day by Chairman Sherley q the appro-
priations committee debate on The bhl,
which provides for the immediate moods
Of tho War Navy and other dopartmon'a
s expected % begin in the Hou9c -
morrow.
In presenting tho measure Chairman
Sherley made public testimony gwen -
/ the committee by department. chiefs
| during the past month ~ oommitfc'
| investigation.
| Huge amounts werr askcd for vsfi0us
| military activities. Among those VIZ
! total of almost Ssl 600. .OOO for rnountair,
| field and siege artillery in addition ~ rn0rs
| than 81 900 900 O00 already sprnt and
contract authorizations of $40 600 0Ho
additional
I The testimony of Col AnsS n ths
/ Ordnance Department, said tho total
amount available for this purpose unor
| the beginning o' the war under drect
4 appropriations ard contract aufhoriza-
| tions was gt.sI6000 ON ~ which
| amount orders have boon place requiring
+, leaving still available for contracts sj6f
1 0O0OOO He said the 81 isl6G0 On9
was intended 70 supply ammunition,
( upon revised estimates u the quantities
needed for two million rnen including
the ammunition needed for the light
! trench nortars.
He said the ssI ,Oo0,O additional =
! asked AS the result n 2 change IN tho
! military program, including nsw require
nents for a larger number 81 shells, tor
ammunition for guns mounted on tanks.
and 81 100000 for a plant designed tor
I the filing of proiectiles with gases and
/ 81, 600 600 for a plant Tor the same
! purpose 70 be erected IN France.
Maj Gen PeGShing cabled, strongly
urging plant IN France 20 Pnahie ~
handle these toxic materials properly.
! Ii is o damned, ordnance officers explained
to dispatch complete organization and
equipment 10 France TO enable the Anon
ran expeditionarv foroes TO meet the
| sudden shift IA gas warfare.
BILLION ron AMMUNITION.
Az the examination before the com
nmtee Chairman Sherley's report sad
that Gen. Wheeler of the Ordnance Bu-
reAl brought ont that the gcvernrnent hau
an arrangement with the French n supply
artillery and ammunition to certain
number Of American troops arriving m
France. but after these units are suppiled
the United States would fully edulp
additional troops.
Americas resources, Gen. Wheeler
testified, were sufficient 20 meet al war
needs He asserted the Wa- Depart
rnent had a billion dollars worth Of am
munltIon contracts.
Maj.-Gen. SquIcT, chief sigma ofhcer,
testified the Signal Corps hsd spent or
obligated all the s640, ,OOo, 900 approprIat-
ed 70 carry out is airpiane program, ana
has incurred obligations that VIII equs
seo.0OO,0O0 IN addition and may %
beyond that. for the present fiscal year
He asked SIT, ,732, 900 70 procure bombs
for the Irplanes.
Discussing storage and shipping f.
cihtles, Gen. Goethals said approximately
SlO0 100000 with authorization of So
OC0.OG0 moro IS needed for storage oi
qlartermAster supplies along he -eS
coast, including huge amounts Tor v'AElo'ls
specific terminals
HOOVER ASKS s., 10000
Federal Food Administrators Hoover
said the combined food and fuel sd-
uninistrato tors so far have had tOtOai ap-
preparations of S5,5lJ, 900, out Of which
there has been an actual expenditure at
| 81 9S5, ,42y, and there are nov outslaA4-
ing obligations OF s. ~, ,3S3, leaving
ST ,257 $50 balance. He asked s., 600, 600
more now. He said he and Or Garfield
furl administrator, were agreed that the
two administrations should boz separate
he said the combined fund was divided
in the proportion OF twO-thrds Tor food
and one-third for fuel.
Mr.. Hoover testified the Food Ad-
ministration is directing the buying Ut
$3.50. .O0O. 600 worth OF foodstIffs month
for the Allies alone Ia addition
he explained, Eve have the whole prob
lem of conservation. Whether We can
continue on a voluntary basis for the
balance of the year | am not sure
Fuel Administrators Garfield denied
TO the committee he had ADVISED people
not to buy coal last summer snd ex-
planned that what he meant was % buy
all the coal necessary but not in excess
Of needs and thus add 70 the transpOt-
tation difficulties.
Provost Marshal Crowder, m sshang
an additional $40 O0O, 900 for draft regis
tration and selection, testified there . a
complete registration already Of All aliens,
including enemy aliens between 2l and
so and that on June there were :
. zoo. 600 aliens enemy aliens he
J tween the draft ages Of p aud 80
Z - zar,,.4b;Dg . Try "a clsssited adv