Show I PREPARE FOR WAR WITH GERMANY PRESIDENT AUTHORIZES EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURE EXPEND EXPEND- ITURE OF MILLIONS TO SPEED SPEEDUP UP NAVAL AVAL CONSTRUCTION Sixty New Submarines ines to be Completed ed in Next Sixty Days Private Builders Ha Having ing Agre Agreed d to Rush Work at Top Speed Washington Preparation Preparation for aggressive aggressive aggressive ag ag- ag- ag action by the navy against the German submarine menace has begun begun begun be be- gun at the direction of President Wil Wil- son The president on March 19 authorized author the expenditure of the emergency fund provided b by congress congress con con- gress to speed up naval construction and pay for special additional war ar craft and the suspension of the hour eight law In plants engaged on on navy work Immediately afterward Secretary Daniels ordered the New York navy yard to begin building sixty sub submarine mar ine me chasers of the foot llO-foot type to be completed In from sixty to eighty days While the energies of the navy will be concentrate concentrated for the present on efforts to get into commission craft designed particularly to destroy submarines submarines submarines sub sub- marines and guard the coast warship building generally will be speeded up under the r recent cent agreement with private private private vate builders and with the funds now made available The announcements of the department department department depart depart- ment followed an hours hour's conference between Secretary Daniels and the president who walk walked d over from the White House to the state war and navy building for the purpose A larg lare e number of privately owned motor craft available for navy use may be drawn upon at any time Retired Retired Re Re- tired naval officers have been at work along the entire Atlantic coast surveying surveying sur sur- boats for a month Contracts have been made for their purchase and a telegraphic order will make them government property over night Volunteer crews for the boats have been enrolled among yachtsmen and others along the coasts Commanders of naval districts are ready to begin patrol work with virtually no delay Navy officials estimate that within four months 2000 patrols and chasers will be ready for action It Is planned to assemble the volunteers within a afew afew afew few days to begin actual operations as ns asa asa a matter of training pending orders I from the president nt for complete mobilization mob mob- of the navy In this connection officials say It Is planned to establish a submarine-proof submarine patrol off off the American coast Since the visit of the German submarine 53 U to Newport last summer it is believed necessary to provide for protection protection pro pro- of American harbors in the event of war The enlisted personnel of the navy I Is being recruited rapidly at present a n total of O men being attained at nt present Congress has authorized a total strength of r and given the president authority to increase that to In emergency That power will not be exercised however until a strength of ot has been reached On th the surface the war department departments Is s taking no steps step toward making ready for war var The facts are arc however that very complete plans for of the guard have been prepared prepared pre prep pared and that provision has b been eti made mado to obtain promptly enough additional additional ad ad- officers to organize a force forcel of volunteers No move to call out such an army can be made made however without congressional au au- au- au |