The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-27
UNCLE SANS NAVY
The Tendency in Congress Is Ma
terially to Enlarge It
RADICALSV VS.. CONSERVATIVES
Proposal to Increase the Num-
ber of Battleships From Four
to Six Meets With some
Opposition.


Washington, March 26.-Heatwole, re-
publican, Minnesota, introduced a res
olution authorizing the president to
appoint a committee of nine citizens to
act with the comptroller of the cur
rency to make recommendations for the
Improvement of our banking and cur
rency system. Referred. The house
then resumed the consideration of the
naval appropriation bill. 1t was de-
cided to allow three hours for general
debate on the paragraph relating to the
increase of the navy. Hanley, repub-
lican, Indiana, gave notice that he
| would offer an amendment to increase
the number of battleships from four to
six. Although his people lived thou
sand miles from tidewater, they were
patriotic enough and proud enough TO
desire to see their country with a navy
BETTING her position as the greatest
country on the globe. He thought it
was time for the United States to en-
| ter upon a distinctively national pol
| icy. He referred to the aggressions of
| Great Britain and our foreign compli-
cations as an argument for a strong
navy.
The republicans pursued a similar
| course. No party could afford to block
the destiny of the United States and
with power they should not hesitate
to carry out the promises made.
Hulick, republican, Ohio, said he en-
| dorsed all Hanley had said but he ar
| gued that in view of the condition of
| the treasury, it was unwise to author
/ ize more than four battleships in this
bill. AS to the building of dry docks,
| the secretary of the navy thought 1t
| was better to eXpend the money to be
| appropriated for ships than dry docks
| and build the latter at some subse-
| quent time.
| johnson, republican, California, fa-
| vored the Hanley amendment for six
| battleships instead of four. He ridi-
| culed the bravado with which he had
| during the past few months announced
| our willingness to declare war on the
| first class powers of the world. With
| our navy, our pretensions were prepos-
| terous. In the event of war with Great
| Britain we would be powerless to pre-
| vent British ships from coming up the
| Potomac, as they did in 1913, and sack
| ing the capital of the country. God
| fought as Napoleon-on the side Of the
| heaviest battalions. We needed a
strong navy. If we were to continue
to parade ourselves among the nations
| of the earth with a chip on our
shoulder we must be prepared to fight
| If the chip was knocked off. No mat
ter how just our cause might be, the
| devils in hell would laugh at our dis
comfiture and say we deserved our de-
| feat because we were not prepared.
| Robinson. republican, Pennsylvania,
/ argued in support of the judgment of
/ the committee. He had listened, he
/ said, to the forensic song and dance
/ of the gentlemen from Indiana and
| California, but that did not appeal TO
him. He and his people, he said, were
| in favor of a liberal appropriation for
| a modern navy to police our coast, but
| they did not favor an enormous navy
| for the purpose of competing with
/ England or continental powers in a
display of militarism.
| Cummings, democrat New York, a
| member of the committee, followed
with a strong and eloquent speech in
favor of a larger increase Of the navy.
| Boutelle closed the general debate in
favor of abiding by the judgment of
/ the naval committee. This bill would
be the largest authorization for ships
in the history of the country and would
tax our capacities to the utmost.
| In conclusion Boutelle expressed the
| hope that the Hanley amendment to
increase the number of battleships
| from four to six would be voted down.
The vote was then taken on the
amendment and on rising vote 1t was
defeated, 32-144.
Fisher, republican, New York, offer
| ed an amendment authorizing the
| president to order one or more of the
vessels authorized in the bill to be
| built in government yards when, in his
opinion, satisfactory evidence was eur
! nished him that they could be built so
within the appropriation. 1t was i'm
portant, he said, that the shipbuilding
| plants at the government yards be
| kept in order The amendment was
defeated, as was one offered by Hill
born, republican, California, to increase
the number of torpedo boats to be
built on the Pacific coast from one to
| FIVE.
Tate, democrat, Georgia, offered an
amendment ITO provide that the drafts
men and designers of the plans of the
ships should be citizens of the United
States. Mercer. republican, Nebraska
| moved to name one of the battleships
| Nebraska
Mahon, republican, Pennsylvania
| caused some amusement by moving 10
name the ships Quay. Reed, Mckinley
and Allison. Robinson moved TO name
one Pennsylvania
All the amendments were voted down
and the bill was then passed. Cannon
chairman of the appropriations com
mittee reported the sundry civil bill
and gave notice that he would call n
up tomorrow. Then at $40 ID. m. the
house adjourned.