The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-25
TO INCREASE THE NAVY
Boutelle Attempts to Rush the
Appropriation Bill.
AN ASSASSIN'S FOUL ACT
Myer Dsnouncss the Instgators Of the
Disaster to the Maine "A Yet
Greater Tragedy Transpir-
ing Daily in Cuba

Washington. March 24.-The galleries
of the house were crowded to-day In
anticipation OF some exciting speeches
on the Spanish crisis during the con-
sideration of the naval appropriation
bill. The leaders had arranged a pro-
gramme by which the general debate on
the bill should be confined to four
hours, two hours on a side. AS soon a.
the journal was read, on motion OF Mr..
Boutelle. chairman of the naval COM
mittee, the house went into COMMITTEES
of the whole. Mr.. Sherman. rep, N. r.,
In the chair, for the consideration OF
the bill.
Mr.. Boutelle stated that it was ex-
ceedingly important that the bill should
be passed as speedily as possible. IL
was the most complete measure for
strengthening the naval establishments
ever reported to the house. The rea-
sons were too obvious to require mem
tloning. The committee over which he
presided had been Impressed with an
earnest desire to meet completely the
expectations of the house and the coun-
try in providing this great arm Of the
naval defense with all reasonable re-
quirements to meet any exigency that
might arise. Mr.. Boutelle took occa-
sion to resent some of the criticisms
which had been made against the com.
mittee. The committee. he said. patri-
otically and earnestly labored to meet
all the extraordinary demands, and as
a result OF infinite pains had reported
the bill. With this preface Mr. Boutelle
entered upon a detailed explanation Of
the bill and the increase and extraordi-
nary provisions IL carried. In the course
or his remarks he replied to what he
termed an extraordinary SANDER
upon himself which appeared in a New
York paper yesterday. charging him
with responsibility for the lack OF engi-
neer officers in the service.
At the conclusion of Mr.. BouteIle's
remarks, he attempted to arrange q
time for closing general debate. He
suggested o'clock tonight. but there
was a chorus OF protests. whereupon he
moved that the committee rise for the
purpose of fixing the time at which the
debate should close. The motion was
holly contested. but IL prevailed by a
narrow margin of 80 to IS. Several re-
publicans voted with the democrats.
Speaker Reed himself marched through
the tellers. When the committee rose
Mr.. Boutelle moved that general debate
close at 5 o'clock.
Mr.. Richardson, dem. Tenn, moved
to amend the motion by making the
hour O'Clock Tomorrow but the chair
declined to recognize the motion. ac-
cepting the statement of Mr.. Boutelle
that he intended to move the previous
question. Ii was defeated. 81 to 80.
ayes and nays for the purpose OF put
ting on record the republicans who re-
fused to sustain his motion. Before roll
call was concluded a compromise was
reached by which il was agreed that
the general debate should close at
O'Clock tomorrow. the session of the
house TO be extended until o'clock to-
night. This arrangement was ratified
and then the debate proceeded.
Mr.. Myer, DEM, La. one Of the mem-
bers of the naval committee. then took
the floor. Mr.. Myer. after referring To
the extraordinary circumstances under
which the naval bill came up for con-
slderation at this time. said that the
theater of war. IL such must come,
would not be on the land but on the
sea. Our army required no addition to
place us on a position OF defense. II Is
large enough for peace purposes and
can easily and quickly be expanded in
the even: of war;
But" said he, you can't improvisa
navy. even with fifty or one hundred
millions placed at the discretion Of the
president. You may have an ample sup
ply of officers. yet even those require
experience in the handling of ships and
in habits of command. Nor can you
make a sailor as quickly as you can
make soldiers Still less can you inn
proNise a man-of-war's crew, with a
thorough knowledge of all discipline and
u
sea battle. A battleship or armoresf
cruiser is not built in a day any more
than Rome was-not even in the old
days OF wooden ships could a war fleet
be improvised or built expeditiously. Ii
is obvious that to wait for a war and to
await naval preparations until war ac-
tually arrives. in the hope that q dis
parity in naval force can be speedily
corrected. is an idea unworthy OF ra-
tional and patriotic men. 1t is the very
acme of human folly.
so much has been said in the press
and on the stump about the new navy
that the public have grossly overesti-
mated its fighting capacity. True. 1
may assert that the ships we have are
OF the best and our personnel active.
keen and equal to the highest tradi-
tions of their predecessors. II u In
deed powerful navy compared with
the best fleet of wooden ships that the
United states or any other nation ever
possessed. but il Is far inferior to the
present navies of France. Germany and
Russia. II Is a very small navy COM
pared with that Of Great Britain. II II
inferior to that of Italy. q country
nearly bankrupt. with about one-third
OF our population. and still more In
ferior in wealth and interests she may
be called on to defend. There are only
four battleships of the first class and
two of the second class. One Of thsse.
the Maine. now lies at the bottom cx
Havana harbor, the victim. probably.
of an assassin's foul act. whose tnstt-
gators, whoever they may be. evidently
took no thought from the words Of TIE
English statesman. that assassination
has never changed the history Cf the
world So. then. we have only ave
battleships left. We have Ire more of
the first class now being built. and
these the secretary tells us. will - -
ready for service before the lattice part
OF 1899. say Is to 20 months from bow.
Even the torpedo boats-an esntntia1
part OF our system of coast defeAso-
win not be ready for q constdcPon1u
time to come. Holding these v1oun @
to our duty and the public neceouct1G
I welcome the exceedingly nodeoe on1