Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-27
THE SURPLUS A MYTH.
That is the Bold Claim Made BY
Those Senators Opposed to
AN INCREASE OF BATTLE SHIPS.
The Bill Passed, but not Without Some
Pointed Objections.
CONDITION OF TIE PACIFIC COAST

WASHINGTON, MAY 26.-The naval bill
was under consideration in the Senate to-
day, the pending question being on Mr..
Cockrell's amendment to strike out the pro-
vision for the construction of three heavily
armed battle ships at cost OF =, ,oOO
each. Mr.. Cockrell quoted at considerable
length from a report OF Naval Board, till
he came to the declaration that 1.-THE United
States must maintain a navy at least equal
in strength to the most powerful navy in
the world
Mr.. Cockrell then read Secretary Tracy's
letter, in which he recommends the con-
struction of IL battle ships, II coast defend
ers and 90 uuarmored vessels. The Secre-
tary of the Navy recommended an expendi-
ture of Sl35, ,O00, 600 in the construction of
naval vessels. The report of the board was
only in accord with the recommendations of
the Army Board on Fortihcations, looking
to the expenditure of S126, 000, 600 to build
Chinese defensive wall around the borders
of the United States on land and sea, for
fear lest some ironclad of a foreign
country might make an attack on
some cities, towns or villages and might
demand contribution.
MAN OF PEACE.
for the construction OF coast deienses or for
an increase Of the naval establishment. But
the temptation Tor all such schemes OF ex-
penditure was the surplus. 1t was well,
however, for the Senate to remember that
the surplus was already gone. 1t was only
a myth to-dav When the legislation of
this Congress was finished there would be
no surplus, and the people of the United
States might be very happy if taxes did not
have to be increased. For all these reasons
he believed that it was not wise,
expedient, judicious or polltic to engage In
the construction of great battle ships. There
was no necessity tor it, in order to protect
the national honor. The American flag was
perfectly safe in every part of the earth and
among all nations, kindreds and tongues.
The United States could rely on securing
Justice without any manifestation OF physical
or visible force. He trusted, therefore, that
his amendment would be agreed to, ana
provision for three battle ships would be
struck out.
Mr.. VOORHEES, said the American people
were no more in favor of increasing the
navy of the United States and having
great standing army than they were in favor
of large standing navy. He represented
one of the States in the Mississippi Valley
in which he doubted whether five men
could be found who would approve of the
appropriation of S12, ,000, 600 at this time for
three battle ships. He had great faith in
the ability of the American people TO get
ready whenever an emergency arose. He
protested in behalf of an overburdened and
overtaxed people against any proposition
looking to mighty standing navy.
NEED FOR A NAVY.
Mr.. Butler said he would not only vote
for the appropriation of three battle ships
and cruiser, but he regretted that it was
not in his power to vote for eight battle
ships instead of three, as he should do with
out hesitation. While be did not look for
war between the United States and Great
Britain, it should be remembered that there
were some delicate and difficult questions
pending between the two governments. He
hoped they might be settled by negotiation
or by arbitration, but so long as human ma
ture was as it was, il was unsafe to assume
that the United States was in no danger of
collision with foreign power. He trusted
that the amendment of the Senator from
Missouri would not prevail.
Mr.. Blair moved to amend the provision
for the three battle ships by inserting the
following:
But this provision shall not be available until
the Government of Great Britain shall have
been requested by the President to withdraw
all her naval forces from American waters and
to dismantle her naval stations in both North
and South America and in adjacent islands,
and shall have declined, or shall have neglected
for one year SO 10 do.
LUDICRoUS PROPOSITION.
Mr.. Hawley said that when his good
friend IRON New Hampshire first offered his
amendment he had thought it fine piece
Of wit, but now he was very much afraid
that the Senator was in earnest. He (Mr.
Bawiey) was as much in favor of peace as
anybody. but a proposition from a nation
already disarmed to Great Britain TO disarm
was simply ludicrous.
Mr.. Hale said that a wear ago he had
visited the northern extremity of Puget's |
Sound and the capital OF British of Colum- |
bia. He had visited the Notifications at |
Eskimo. Across the bav he saw two |
formidable ships OF war. Those two ships, |
in the presence of a conflict occurring in |
Behring's Sea, would sweep the coast OF the !
Pacific from Puget's Sound to Lower |
California and no man could say them nav.
He had realized, then, the force of what a
British officer said, that Eskimo held a
pistol at the head of San Francisco and
every port on the Pacific Coast. 1t was to
avoid that state of things that the Committee
on Appropriations had reported the bill.
There were some British ships, that to-day,
could overcome every American ship ahoat.
Mr.. Blair's amendment was rejected and
then the vote was taken on Mr.. Cockrell's
amendment to strike out the provision for
three battle ships. 1t was not agreed to.
The bill was then passed.
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