Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-05-27

NATIONS CAPITAL.
Naval Appropriation Bill Passed
BY The Senate.
Senator Hale Makes an Able Speech IN
Its PaToP.
Bill Provides For Building Three Hesv-
fly ArmoIed Battle Ships

The naval appropriation bill VAS tai,
up, the pending qaestion being on Cockrell
amendment 10 strike out the provision 4
the construction of three heavily afmor,
battiesbips st 3 cost of 81 ,00O, 900 esch.
COekreli quoted = remark Of Hales in Il
discussion Saturday TO the effect that 4
that WIS sought in that provision wss the ;
gin to put the United Sta,es in = pos
ton where no nation could humiiitate
He also quoted At considerable length FRI
the report Of naval board. till be cam.
the de laration that the ~ nited States mu
maintain a navy a, less: equal in strens,
to the most po"erful navy in the world.
What document 10 the Senator reaiin
| from" Hale asked
Am reading from the report Of the DO
icy board" was Coekrelfs reply.
Hsle-lt would be difficult, for the Sen,
/ tor from Mis souri, TO fad Senator on th
| floor or ANY responsible official OF the 90,
errmert, Including the Secretary of th
Navy, who is in the least degree in iAyt
of the report of the policy board. Tt
Senator may read from that report till th
SUI goes down and will be attacking NJ
body who will be defended here. The off
| GERS that were on that board were able sn
competent men, skillful in their profe ssio'
but possessed of an idea that one thing fu
the government to do was to tuild up q
enormous navy. equal to that OF any natlo
OF the old world. Nobody else is in fayu
of that.
Coc.rel,--"This b ,ard vas appointed b
the Secretary of the Navy for the purpos
Of giving him suggestions and recommen
darions "
Hale" There are good many vallabi
things to be found in the report. but til
Secretary has never accepted it as being
guide for him. or as laying out Of hi
policy, and in the letter he sent to Goa
grcss sith his report he took good care l.
disclose his own position, showing that tn
Secretary vas moderate and only asked 10
respectable navy. The navy propose,
by the policy of the board is the root OF al
the mischief that has been wrought.
has started the country, alarmed the So
ciet; OF rriends, ard alarmed CoDgree.
Nc wonder that the report did not send
noe of alarm throughout the country
THAT is Why the legitimate progress ".
ought to make in building q respectable
navy has been hindered 1t is the fear o
thai vast. gfsnd. lordiy scheme laid out b;
the policy board.
Ccckrell continued at great length, de
clarTg If these coast defences we're con
straet,d the force of the standing srm,
would have 10 be doubled, and what nov
cos's sl4 600, 900 year wobld then cos
s2e 900. and all for What? To terroriz
other nations Instead Of setting An .x
ample Of peaceful arbitration to the nation,
of the earth the Unt ted States. the new re-
pubic, the shining light of the world, wa.
to T. II tht III that il intended to resort TO the
same old means which monarchical govern
ments mad reso.ted TO from time imus,mo
rial. 1t would be folly for the United
States TO engage in the useless, hazxrdou,
and extfavsgant undertaking of building
great battle ships. But the temptation fol
all such schemes Of expenditure was the
surplus. 1t was well for the Senate 70 re
member the surplus is already gone. 1t j.
only d myth today.
The debate was continued by Reagan,
Stewart, Voorhees, and others.
Gray, while quite agreeing with Voor-
hees that the strength Of the United States
depended largely or the fact that the ma
tons o. the wsrid had become fami. lar with
when an emergency arose, did not think
reliance On that power exactly opposite to
anything involved in the amendment The
policy of the United States wss 10 avoid ss
far as posnbie initiating, in any degree, the
policy of morarchsl governments, in main
talnig large standing establishments
whether of navy or army but It had been
the policy Of the United State for several
generations to maintain a nucleus for =
standing army, to preserve the cddre of
army organization that might be adapt. d
OF emergencies to the needs of the times
The proposition before the Senate was in
line win that well settled policy. The
United States could not 90 on forever liv-
ing in Fools Parad se." rely ing on its sbil
ity to - r. ady for fight. I: would not do
for II" taiIed States to fold ia arm, ard
believe itself competent to maintain its
honor and dirni'y, urless it had at least a
begirning fl M which preparations could
be made whes An nercency arose.
Bu l5r opuns ei the smf no ment to strike
out the prov ;9ns for three battle ships
He hal supp,'sd that the policy to con
struc; a resp Gable nav hsd been decide;
upon. He regretted that il was not in hi-
of three Nn l. he d. rvt look for wal
between the United States and Crest
BritaiH Il should BE- rrmem Ae-ad 'ha' t,e, 9
were n,a q, Il ate aid ..iffcut quesron.
pend NJ betty e. n the ;wo g5vtrnme ms. He
hoped they might te settled by negotiation
or arhi'r .i'un. Uat so long A. human nature
was az i Vas, Il sss unsafe to assume
that thJ Urite+ States wss in no danger oi
collision with foreign ppwers.
Blair moved 10 amend the provision eol
three BATH shius by inserting. But thi,
prov sion shall not oe available until The
Goverru,snt of Great Britain shall have
beer req1estsd by the President to with
draw all hsr naval forces from American
water, And dismantie her naval stations il
boti North aud South America and sdja
cent !s!snd-, and shsll have declined OF
shat taSe neglected for ore year so TO do
He .a'i II Crest Britain did not arceie Il
tina; rtqis st, the policy of the nsvsl com
mit'se v,utl have 70 become The country
The Uolred States would have to be pre-
pared to rrpel force on the sea. He asket
Hale how large a navy the United State
Gus h' to have.
Hale repiled there ought to be half Z
doz great wsr ships on the Atlantic coss
an, fvrr or five more on The Pacific coss,
T. at would be very moderate nsvs
force.
blair-'W must have a navy lirg
enough. if We are obliged to have it
Hais--"W hat does the Senator thirl
would be the reply Of Great Britain il III,
demand was made upon her to ~ithdra,
her war We .sels from American water. an
disnisntie her for'iicstions:
Bisir-"Shoud hope it would be favor
able (Lsn, hter
Hsle-"Does the Senator think it woul
he?"
Blair-"Da no; know why it sbolld M
be. very large proportion Of Britis
Pgriiamsni favor arbitration; why shout
they 70, b. in favor of disarmament"
Eae-''lhe Senator is not ne arly as sin
pie ss his remarks would indicate. Laugh
far) He is 70; lacking in common .ense
or il craft which eharacterizes the Sis;
f. m hich be comes. II be were in a re
spon-i5ie position, representing honor A.,
= euiiy of the country. be could be the Ia
MAJ who would venture to make such
proposition 10 the Biitisb government.
;hsrsf re, AK the Senator to sive rs her
eff OF Il little candor, tell Us what he think
would he the answer Of the British cover,
u'.n; TO proposition to dismantle her fo
tifcs;ions ard remove its navy from Ame
lean waters"
! Ri4ir-.'Did the Senator from Maine evs
read Bible? Has he any idea there is
! be millennium Does he understand Il
time i. to come when nations will learn vi
no more?
Hate Would the Senator himsef
readyf"
Blair-"Will the Senator answer n
questions?"
HsIe--.I have read the Bible"
Blsir-"That 10 good. 30 far. had n
believed it," Laughter 81 ask the Sc
ator il lie believes the time 10 to come wh,
the sations shall learn of war no more?'