The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-25
HOUSE WASPATRlOTIC
Speakers Advocated Intervention to
Stop the Cuban War.
-
ALL RADICAL UTTrRANCEs CHEtRED.
>---
Additions to the Navy and Not the
Army Arc Necessary
The TINE TO PREPARE is NOM
The Naval Appropriation Bill VIII
BE Voted Upon Totlny-sttrrinE
speeches Are Expected.

Washington, March 24.-The galleries
of the house were crowded today in as
ticipation of some stirring speeches on the
Spanish crisis. The leaders had arrang q
a programme by which the general debate
on the naval appropriation bill should lie
confined TO four hours, two hours on
side.
AS soon as the journal was read, ON mo-
tion of Mr.. Boutelle, chairman of the
naval committee, the house went into COM
mittee Of the whole. Mr.. Sherman (Rep..
N. Y.) in the chair. Mr. Boutelie stated
that 1t was exceedingly important that the
bill should be passed as speedily as pos
sible. 1t was the most complete measure
fer strengthening the naval department
ever reported TO the house. The reso.u-
tons were too obvious to require expiana-
ton. The committee had been impress I'd
with an earnest desire TO inset fully and
completely the appreciation of the houss,
and to meet any exigency that might arise.
Mr.. Boutelle took occasion TO answer some
OF the criticisms made against the com
mittee. The committee he said, had IA
triottcally and earnestly labored TO meet
all demands.
With this preface Mr.. Boutele eutereu
upon detailed explanation Of the bill
and the increase and extraordinary pro-
visions II carried. In the course OF his
remarks he replied to what he termed IN
extraordinary slander upon himself which
appeared IN n New York paper yesterday
charging him with responsibility for the
lack OF engineer officers in the service. At
the conclusion of Mr.. Boutelle's remark;
he attempted to arrange TING for 81 y
ing general debate and after some pss-
liamentary wrangliug compi omiss WIS
reached by which 1t was agreed that the
general debate should close at ] o'clock
tomorrow, This arrangement was ratified
and then the debate proceeded
Mr.. Meyer tDem,. La. J, one of the mem
bers Of thr naval committee. thon took
the floor, Mr.. Meyer, after referring To
the extraordinary circumstances under
which the naval bill came up FOR n
sideration at this time, said that the the
alter OF war. II such must come, would not
be on the land but on the sea. Our army
required no addition to place IFS in poli-
ton OF defense, II is large enough ioT
peace purposes and can easily and quickly
be expanded in event OF war.
Bill. SAID be, you can not 1mprUvisc
a navy even with fifty or enc hundred mil
lion icllars. You may have an ample sup
NY of officers, yet ever these require IN
reriencc il ihe handling Of SHIPS and in
habits OF command, Nor chn you make q
sailor as quickly az VOL can soldier
Still less can YOU improvise man of wars
crew. with thorough knowledge of all
they have 20 dc and possessing the discp
line and training needed to make them cf-
ficient in sea service and in battle.
la.teship or an armored cruiser is not
built in day, IT Is obviols that to wait
for war and Ia await naval preparation
until war actually arrives, in the hope that
a disparity in iaval force can be speedily
corrected. is an iden unworthy of rational
aud patriotic iueD. Il Is the very acme OF
human folly. SO much has been said In
the press aud on the stump about the new
navy that the public have grossly ovar
estimated It's fighting capacity.
True, ! may assert thpt the ships we
haze are OF the bcss snd orr present men
active keen and equal TO the highest ira
diticns OF thoir predecessors. IL Is in
deed a powerful navy, compared with the
best fleet OF wooden ships that the United
States or that any other nation ever pos
sessed. but 1t Is far inferior 10 the present
navies of France, Germany and Russia. 1t
is very small navy compared with that OF
Great Britain. II is inferior 10 that Of
Italy n country nearly bankrupt, with
about one-third of our population. and still
mere inferior in wealth and the interests
she may he allied on To defend. There are
of the second class One OF thesc--the
Maine---now Hes at the bottom OF the har-
btr, the victim, probably, OF an assassin's
foul act. whose inetigators whoever thes
may be. evidently took no thought from
the words of the English statement tina.
assassination has never changed the his
tory of the world So, then. we have cnly
five battlcships left. We have five more
OF the first class low being built, and
these, the secretary tells ~ will not be
ready for service before the latter part OF
1899 say eighteen to twenty months from
now The torpedo boets an esjeatial part
OF our system of cosst defense. viii not
be ready fer a considerable time to cchap-
Holding these views as to cur duty and
nublc necessity I welcome even the ex-
ceedingly noj.ss and reasonable addition
Of three Dattleships and six Torpedo boat,
and six torpedo boat destroyers proposed
by the bill With equal satisfaction DO ]
hail The step which proposes TO give our
warshiTs adequate docking and repair ia
ciiitiee unon the Atlantic, the Paciiie and
the CALF coasts
THE fifty million appropriation was nos
only declaration OF our purpose 10 stand
by the country In time Of waF; IL was
also confession by congress that we are
lackiEg, sadly lacking, In preparation for
war and that whatever m0uey freely yotal
would do TO atone for our pact neglect
nnd want of foresight would b. chefrfuliy
aud promptly given.
Mr. Dayton tReIi., ohio), another mem
her OF the co1lmittee G>oke feelingly OF
the Maine explosion. But the blowing
I'D of the Maine" said he, lis mere in
cident compared with that greater End
more horrible tragedy which Is TRANSPORTING
daily before our eyes and which we, as
great and enlightened ration. insist must
be stopped. We do mol know that Spain
blew up The Milne. but we do know l'tat
rhe is resporsible 70 The deadly murder In
Cuba. This mast cease. ! nope without
var. hut II war is necessary. let It come,
fAppla,isel
Mr. Arnold rep, PAD discussed for q
few pinutcs srain's responsibility for The
blowing up ~ the Maine. When he de-
elared that arbitration would rot be &c
cepted BY tho American people there was
I round Of applause. Our flag. be insisted,