Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-09-08

any thicker armor plate, while We are
going on increasing the piercing ca
pacity of our ordnance Therefore |
think. as l have said before, that, in
view of these facts, it is extradordinary
that we at this day should go on APP
propriating 10 complete these ships of
more than s2S, 100000.
Mr.. Loud You approve of torpedo
boats. do you not2
MIR. Simpson. IL they are necessary.
Mr.. Loud. Then you don't know
whether they are necessary or not?
Mr. Simpson. 1 do not know | will
direct my attention now TO these bat
tie ships.
Mr.. Loud. Now, would like to ask
the gentleman one question, and have
a fair answer. / would like to ask the
gentleman if his objection is not To the
amount of the appropriation, rather
than an objection to the construction of
q navy, or rather than to the class of
vessels carried in this bill?
Mr.. Simpson, Mr. Chairman, 1 viii
give this gentleman fair answer, as
he wants fair answer always try
to give fair and honest answer to any
Il u
1 am opposed both to the appropria-
tion and to the ships, because. of course.
the ships carry the appropriation.
Mr.. Loud: Which do you oppose
the strongest?
Mr.. Simpson. [ oppose them both
equally, because 1 do not see how
any sensible man can separate the two:
and do not see any necess ty for an
increase of the Navy.
Mr.. Loud. That is a fair answer.
Mr.. Simpson. I think we have a
sufficient navy to protect our interests.
both al home and abroad. Now, what
do we want an increased Navy for? Do
you apprehend foreign war; and if so,
who with2 There is no nation on all
the face of the globe that would have
any pretext or could have any interest
in attacking the greatest nation in the
world, and if we deal fairly with other
nations we need not fear any war.
There is but one country with whom a
war might be had, and that is Great
Britain, which is the greatest naval
power on the earth. Her naval power
exceeds that of any navy ever built.
She must necessarily have navy, be-
cause her commerce goes to every port
in the world. She, by the system OF
trade she has adopted, has intercourse
| with ali the world, aud SO her ships
enter into every port. Therefore she
has been compelled by circumstances
to buil1 up very large navy to pro-
tect her great ocean carrying trade.
We are in different circumstances We
have ne ocean marine worth speaking
of. Why, the gentleman from Iowa
fMr. Hepbnrnl the other day. in
speech here, showed beyond question
that we have to pay many hundreds Of
millions every year to foreign ships;
and I think he made the statement that
we paid the Germans also an enormous
sum, and that it was a rare thing to see
Then why do you need an increase of
the navy?
MIR. Loud. When your party comes
into power, in 1895. when you will have
| this free trade which you have been
speaking of, will it not be well TO an
lticipate 1t, as it viii take longer to
build ships than to pass your free trade
bill?
Mr.. Simpson. Mr. Chairman. we
are discussing an appropriation bill
which carries an increase of expendi-
lures of go. OoO, 900, and does the gem
tleman want to divert the discussion
from that to party politics?
Mr.. Loud. You were referring TO
England and her free trade.
Mr.. Simpson 1t Is so. because of the
different conditions of that country
from those of this courtry, which
think is a perfectly legitimate argu-
ment in this question. England * con-
fined to a small territory Her people
have been compelled TO take TO the
ocean and to trade with all the nations
of the earth; and therefore she, OF