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Show oo PREPAREDNESS IS NOW CONSIDERED Washington, Jan. IS. National preparedness pre-paredness occupied official and unofficial un-official attention to an unusunl extent here today. It became known that President Woodrow Wilson contemplates making mak-ing speeches In the east and middle west in behalf of the administration's defense program. Speakers pleaded for adequate preparedness before the national civic federation convention, which adopted a resolution for a committee com-mittee to consider tho best plan, and senate and house committees held hearings on various phases of the subject sub-ject Wilson's first public appeal for support sup-port of his program will be in New York on January 27 He will speak before tho United States chamber of commerce here on February 10, and has under consideration invitations to speak in Pittsburg, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Cincin-nati, Toledo, Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis and several other cities. Must Be Prepared. John Hays Hammond declared before be-fore the National Civic federation convention that if the United States upholds the "open door" policy in China and the Monroe doctrine, it must be prepared to oppose Japan and Germany respectively. Former Governor O'Neal of Alabama deplored tho "debasing and demoralizing doctrine" doc-trine" advanced by the peace at any price advocates. Dar. Talcott Williams Wil-liams contended that tho "crowning reason for an adequate army and navy for the United States is not war, but peace. Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, insisted that organized labor la-bor "assorts its rights to representation representa-tion in all committees, commissions and bodies that decide upon military defense." Arthur H. Dadmun of tho Navy league advocated a "United States navy second to none." Committees at Work. Both the military and naval affairs committees of the house continued their work on the national appropriation appropria-tion bill, equipment for the army and additional officers for the navy being be-ing especially considered. Quartermaster Ayleshire, Brigadier General Scrlven, chief: of the signal service, and Lieutenant Colonel Ro-bcr, Ro-bcr, in charge of the aviation corps, were examined by the military affaire committee today. Tho naval affairs committee voted to call Secretary of the Navy Daniels Dan-iels on Thursday in connection with Representative Padgett's bill increasing increas-ing by about 600 the naval cadets at tho Annapolis academy, the cost of which is estimated at about $2,500,000 per year. Reaf Admiral Stanford, chief of the bureau of yards and docks who has been upon the stand two weeks, continued his testimony before the committeo today. Indications are that the committee hearings will delay de-lay consideration of the appropriation bill until June or later. Garrison Outlines Plan. Secretary of War Garrison mado a comprehensive statement before the senate military committee, including a complete outline of his plan for a continental army. He touched upon a number of subjects not submitted to him by the committeo. Before the senate naval affairs committee com-mittee there occurred a squabble at the hearing on tho Tillman armor plate plant bill when Democratic members tried to develop the fact that the Bethlehem Steel company furnished armor plate cheaper to foreign for-eign powers than to the United States. |