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Show WILSON PREPARES TO LEAD FIGHT President to Make Personal Appeal Before Country for National Preparedness. ISSUE IN CONGRESS Undeterred by Open Opposition Opposi-tion of Pacifists and Convinced Con-vinced Program Is Best for Country. Washington, Jan. 19. President Wilson today Is planning to take personal per-sonal charge of the fight for national preparedness. In addition to making a personal appeal ap-peal before the country In numerous public addresses in support of his program for strengthening tho army and navy the president plans to hold further conferences on the subject with tho leaders in congress Numerous reports which have come to the president of confusion over tho Issue In congress and uncertainty of tho outcome prompted tho step. Undeterred By Opposition. The president Is Bald to be undeterred undeter-red by the open opposition of the pacifists, paci-fists, including William J Bryan, and differences among advocates of national na-tional defense over the exact plans to bo adopted. He Is said also to be convinced con-vinced that tho proparednoss program Is tho best which can be offered at this time. Plans for speaking trips woro going forward rapidly today. Hearings on tho administration's plan Tor national preparedness were continued in congress today. Major-Goneral Leonard Wood, former form-er chief of staff of tho army and now commander of tho department of tho east, appeared before the senate military mili-tary committee and was to bo followed follow-ed by Major-General Carter, retired. Goneral Weaver Before House. Brlgadler-General Weaver, chief of coast artillery, told tho house com-mlttco com-mlttco that while the fixed works woros wero intended primarily to defend de-fend cities and anchorages, thoy also were the support of the navy and vere Intended to support the mobile army along the coast lino. Guns ot ) large callbor, ho said, would be rush-J ed to any point to drive off enemy warships protecting landing parties. The new fortifications planned for Cape Henry, Rockaway Beach and San Francisco, he said, would require an additional force of fifty companies. These will be equipped -with sixteen rifles. Every fortification now, he said, Is short one to five companies of tho force necessary to man fifty pieces of the batteries. Pacific coast artillery garrisons are kept close to full and men for duty in tho Insular possessions are withdrawn from forts on the Atlantic coast. |