The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-26

propriated and in addition 100000 is ap
propriated for the manufacture OF arms.
Mr.. Butler strongly advocated the adop
ton OF the amendment, and said the ship
of this country were covered with defec
tive armor.
Mr. Hawley challenged this statement.
Il emphatically deny" said he, ''tha
there is any such amount Of defective
armor on our warships as the senator
from North Carolina declares there is
And even if the statement were true,
leave to the country TO judge OF the pro,
priety of Haunting the defects before
Spain"
while 1 am in entire agreement with
the senator from Connecticut interject-
ed Mr.. Chandler, On. H. Il am satisfied
that the senator (Mr. Butler) is mistaken
| Investigation has shown that the ballistic
tests of the armor were satisfactory"
Mr. Chandler appealed to Mr.. Hale, chair
man of the naval affairs committee, and
the latter said:
THE armor upon our ships is the best
| in the world. No European government
has armor on it's ships so good as ours.
Mr. Butler was proceeding to read some
! testimony taken before a committee of the
house of representatives relating to de-
| fective plates on various United States
war vessels and to make sharp comment
upon it, when Mr.. Hawley said sharply!
IT must protest against this. I believe
the senator from North Carolina Is out
of order In making these charges here
publicly. If he should reduce them to writ
| Ing and transmit them privately TO Spain,
pointing out these defective plates, he
would be guilty of treason"
Mr. Tillman. Is. Co. called attention to
the fact that the statement made by Mr.
Butler had been used on official reports,
which were easily accessible.
Continuing, Mr.. Butler averted to what
he regarded as the excited utterances of
the senator CMr. Hawiey) who, he said.
had risen and flung at him charges OF
treason. He thought those who were
guilty of treason were htose who had re-
fused to make provision for getting armor
at a reasonable price.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Buffers speech,
Mr.. Stewart, (Nev.) inquired of Mr.. Hale
whether the naval bill in any way COM
mitted the government TO pay 800 a ton
for armor for the proposed battleships
authorized by the bill.
Mr. Hale replied that nothing in the
bill could be construed as committing the
government to pay any particular price
for armor.
OOCo any DOOy NM" 1870 49,
Allen, whether the modern battleship is
a fighting machine or not"
ut is a great fighting machine, of
course" said Mr.. Hale, but its power and
efficiency have never been demonstrated.
Mr.. Tillman made an extended speech
in favor of the proposed amendment In
the course of which he had a passage at
arms with Mr.. Chandler, based upon re-
port made by the latter. favoring reduc-
ton of the price of armor.
Mr. Chandler pointed out that 1t was
impossible for the government to secure
a better price than$40O ton for ermor un-
til it should enter into longtime con-
tract. whereby certain specified amount
of armor would be taken each year.
Mr.. Hale declared that both the naval
affairs and the appropriations committee
were opposed to the construction of gov
eminent armor plant, as they are thor
oughly satisfied it would save neither time
nor money.
Mr.. Hale then moved to lay the amend
ment upon the table, and it was so adopt
ed by a vote Of So to 13.
Mr. Hale offered an amendment author
izing the secretary of the navy to en-
list at any time after the passage of the
act as many seamen and boys as he may
deem necessary to man the ships of the
navy or for use of the navy as a tenn
porary force and appropriating IS. 900
for that purpose. Mr.. Hale agreed to an
amendment offered by Mr. Cockrell (Mo.,)
that the time limit would be during the
existence of war. The amendment was
agreed to, the amendment making the ap-
preparation imme diately available.
An amendment was also agreed to pro-
viding that hereafter all frst-class battle
ships and monitors shall be named after
the various states.
The bill as amended was passed.
The amendment for better organization
of the line of the army. providing for the
three-battalion formation, was called UP
by Mr.. Hawley.
The amendments offered by the commit
tee were agreed to without division.
One OF the. amendments is an addition
to the proviso Of section 5, authorizing the
president to accept the quotas of troops
Of the various states and territories. The
committees amendment requires that
these quotas shall be in companies.
troops. and batteries. each to contain so
far as practicable the number of enlisted
mon authorized IN this act for each arm Of
the service. and battalions OF not less
than three such companies, and regiments
Of not less than ten nor more than twelve
such companies But this proviso shall
apply to companies. batteries battalions,
and regimental organizations. and none
other"
Provision is also made for the increase
OF the signal corps in time Of war. TO the
extent OF ten coTporals, 100 hrst-class pri-
Yates and forty second-ciass privates. who
are to have the pay and allowance of en-
gineer troops OF the same grade
An amendment to section 6 gives the
president discretion TO employ retired on
GERS of the army on active duty except
in the command of troops. While SO en-
ployed they are TO receive the full pay
OF their grade.
The bill was placed Upon It's passage and
passed within twenty E1nutes Of its in
PRODUCTION.
At 80 2 m. the message clerk Of the
house Of representatives Informed the SEN
ate that the house had passed An act de-
claring state Of war existing between the
United States and Spain. The message
was at once read 20 the senate and az
$50 D m. the senate went into secret ex-
ecutive session 20 consider the resolution
declaring the existence OF war
At f.37 ,. N. the senate resumed rou-
tine business IN open session
Al as D. n. the message clerk Of the
house announced that the speaker had
signed the bill declaring The existence Of
war between the United States and Spain
and requested the signature Of the vice
president Within tao minutes Vice-PrsE-
ident Hobart had signed ihe act and pre-
cisely at s clock announced his sigma
ture
few minutes later another message
wAs received from the house announcing
its disagreement OF the army rsorgz1..-
nation biz. and Esklnf for conference
The conference was agreed 70 ard Aessrs
Hzwley. Proctor AID cockrel were named