The San Francisco call., 1898-03-08
Call Office, Riggs House, Wa shinetOn. March [.


 Renresentatiye Cannon of Illinois to- day introduced a bill appropriating $50, ,00O, 900 as war emergency fund, to be placed at the immediate disposal Of the President
 It was referred to the Committee on Appropriations The Cannon bill. it was learned later. was the outcome or a conference held at the White House this morning, at which Cannon, Sec retary Long, Dingley, Senator Allison and General Grosvenor were present The situation was considered so grave that it was deemed imperative that an immense appropriation of this char acter should be at once made to prepare for the national defense. After the conference Cannon went to the Capitol and called a special meeting of the Appropriations Committee. After this meeting Cannon introduced the na- tional defense bill in the House.
 The Appropriations Committee will meet tomorrow and the bill will be presented in the House during the day.
 There is little doubt expressed among Senators that the Cannon bill appropri- ating $50.000,000 will probably be con- sidered and speedily passed when it reaches the Senate. Many Senators express the opinion that the most eff fective method of dealing with the question would be to take up and pass the bill immediately upon it's receipt in the Senate without reference to com mittee. Some of the members of the Committee on Appropriations expressed themselves as satisfied to have the | measure take it's course, but others are | of the opinion that none of the effects z % Al,0 bill referred and reported in the regu- ! lar way. Senator Allison, chairman of | the committee, expressed the opinion | that the bill should be referred, say ing that the committee would proba | bly, be able to report within twenty | four hours. A few Senators said that | they did not consider that the time | had come for the actual appropriation of money for the preparation for war, but they did not indicate any intention 1 to antagonize the passage of the bill | or to seek to delay it.
 | Senators who favor the bill say it Is l a peace and not war measure, and some expressed the opinion that it would | be more effective if it carried $100, ,000,- 900 instead of $50,000,000.
 Secretary Long sent to Congress to- 1 day for inclusion in the urgent de- l ficiency bill an estimate of an appro- | priat tion of $300,000 to be immediately available for the equipment of vessels l in the navy for the present fiscal year and for the immediate supply of 10000 | tons of coal to Key West. The report accompanying the estimates shows the | bunker capacity of the ships of the navy now in the vicinity of Dry Tor tugas and Key West is about 12.000 | tons, and the storage capacity of the | coal sheds at Key West is about 4200 tons. The largest vessels of the fleet. the Secretary says, cannot approach nearer than seven miles of Key West. At present they coal from schooners at | Tortugas and at other nlaces near by, when they are permitted. There is one | flat lighter with a capacity of 5000 tons now at Key West. This is not suitable | for use at any distance from the port. | The report concludes as follows:
 "The bureau believes it for the in-
 terest of the service that additional temporary coal sheds should be con- | structed on Government land at Key | West which will increase the storage capacity there up to 10000 or 12,000 tons, and that lighters be purchased which may be lowed anywhere within | radius of sixty miles of Key West. | Also that at least 10000 tons of coal be | laid down at Key West ready for an | emergency. The appropriation for | equipment for the navy is inadequate | for these purposes, and in order that | the bureau may be able to execute the
 necessary contracts at once, I recom- mend that Congress appropriate $100,- 900 additional to be immediately avail