By this time, the conviction had dawned upon the nation and its leaders that military operations must be partici pated in by American troops on a vastly greater scale than had been anticipated at the beginning. At first it had been thought possible to increase the armies to the required size by voluntary enlist ments. But it soon became evident that other methods must be adopted, if Ameri ca's intervention was to be prompt and effective.
Conscription had an unpleasant sound to American ears, but its necessity be came so apparent that the Selective Draft Act, when it was approved on May 18, met with general approbation. The first application of the act resulted in the registration of over 9,500,000 young men on June 5, and the subsequent calling into service from this number of 687,000 on July 20. So energetically was the work carried on that by the end of August the men were streaming into the cantonments and army posts that had been selected as training grounds. Thirty-two great cantonments in various parts of the country were planned and built in record time, and great numbers of officers were being trained at Platts burg and similar camps established for that purpose.
The legislative branch of the govern ment made movements on so great a scale possible by liberal appropriations. Partisanship was laid aside, and both parties stood loyally behind the Execu tive in all action looking toward a suc cessful prosecution of the war. On June 15 an appropriation bill carrying over $3,000,000,000 for army and navy pur poses was signed by the President, and a little over a month later an appropria tion of $640,000,000 was made for the aviation service. It was estimated by Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo on July 24, that $5,000,000,000, in addition to what had been already authorized, would be necessary to finance the war up to June 30, 1918. Taxation and the issue of bonds on an unprecedented scale were foreshadowed by this announce ment, but the sacrifice was cheerfully made. The first Liberty Loan which called for two billion dollars was over subscribed by more than a billion. The campaign for the loan opened May 2, and closed June 15, and its raising was at tended by a spirit of enthusiasm and pa triotism that showed how deeply the na tion was stirred.
The enormously important economic feature of national defense was not over looked. It was realized that this was a war of resources and that the nation that could hold out for "the last quarter of an hour" would win. A nation-wide
system of activities was organized that enlisted the ablest business minds of the country in the Council of National De fense, which had as its official nucleus the members of the Cabinet. The Coun cil was sub-divided into a number of committees, each headed by a recognized expert, and their work went on under the control and supervision of the various Government departments. Herbert C. Hoover, who had demonstrated his ex ecutive ability by his work in connection with the Belgian Relief Commission, was made the head of the Food Board, whose work was to mobilize the agricultural re sources of the country, stimulate economy and production, prevent waste and as sure an adequate food supply not only for civilians but for the army and navy, as well as to supplement the failing re sources of the Allied nations. The opera tion of the railroads was put under the control of a railway board, in order to prevent freight congestion and send goods by the quickest and shortest routes. A committee on raw materials saw to it that the Government secured the requisite amount of copper, steel and other products. The Federal Shipping Board was authorized to build a fleet of wooden cargo ships, 1,000 in number and from 3,000 to 5,000 tons burden. These, it was figured, would make up largely for the damage done to shipping by the submarines, and keep up a steady stream of sunnlies to Eurone.
Important acts passed by Congress strengthened the hands of the Executive. The Espionage Act dealt with foes, with especial bearing on the activ ities of resident enemy aliens. Death or imprisonment was provided for convicted spies. Penalties were appended for any interference with commerce carried on with the Allied nations. More rigid restrictions were put on passports. The use of search warrants was extended. The Embargo Act provided for a system of licensing the transfer of commodities abroad, and was designed to prevent sup plies being shipped to neutral ports which might get into the hands of Germany, either through deliberate design or through the natural channels of trade. The act was resented by neutrals, who feared that their legitimate needs might go unsupplied, but it was warmly wel comed by the Allies, who saw in this tightening of the blockade against Ger many an effective means of shortening the war.