The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-02

replied Mr.. Steele has been impressed
since the debate began with the idea that
the bill would have Jared better if Il had
tleman from Maine daughter and APP
plause.)
MIR. DE ARMoND's SPEECH.
Mr.. De Almond Dem. Mo- at this juno
tire got the floor with speech that at
uacted much attention. He called on the
administration to take the aggressive. The
Maine, he said. had been blown up in
harbor supposed to be friendly. There was
great danger now. he declared in trusting
to diplomacy rather than to our own strong
ann The great question now. he said was
to stop the hostile fleet approaching our
SPORES II we were depending upon di-
Plomacy 1t would prove broken reed. the
pest protection, he said, was aggression;
rot 10 wait idly resting upon hopes that
nad no foundation. He declared that We
should strike while we had the advantage.
War between nations was not like a contest
between equally matched gladiators. The
best and first prepared for it, and, seeing
farthest into the future, struck first where
the blow would prove most effective.
Let US protect ourselves, continued Mr..
De Armond. by striking before we are
stricken (Applause.) Let us not wait. We
have waited TOO long. | hope that proper
what | apprehended as danger will be
avoided. ! listened with interest to the re-
MARKS ABOUT tnat wonder OF marine naval
architecture, the Holland boat, which under
the water of bay or ocean may move silent
ly. swiftly, unseen on it's GRAND Of de-
struction. it has seemed to me that it is
hardly wise for this government when the
time for immediate action with reference
to present emergency exists to provide for
a distant future when, perhaps, that pro-
vision will be needless. If war should oc-
cur, it will soon be demonstrated what the
value of the modern battle ship is. No man
doubts, no man car doubt the value of the
modern agent of destruction known as the
torpedo boat and the torpedo boat destroy
eTs. Silently and swiftly in the watches of
the night, over the still 4ters, these swift
boats proceed upon their errand of destruc-
ton and while insignificant in themselves.
yet they carry such mighty agencies of
destruction that the proudest battle ship
that ever foated is as a mere paper box
when assailed by them. 1t is simply trap,
simply a magnificent grave beneath the
water for those who unfortunately happen
to be on board when the destroyer strikes.
Above all things let me again endeavor
TO impress upon the House that the danger
menaces us now. Every hour and every min
ute across the waters of the Atlantic is
coming that danger. Every hour and every
minute 1t is closer to and every hour
and every minute we are less secure In
consequence of it, / hope that those who
have influence that those who have the
ear of the agencies now directing and con-
trolling the government, largely to the ex-
clusion of the Legislative branch, may exert
that influence that if that has not been
done which ought to be done for our pro-
lection it may be done without further de-
lay" (Applause)
After several hours of wrangling, during
which all sorts of amendments were Of
fered and voted down and many speeches
were. made the vote taken upon the
Cannon substitute to reduce the number of
battle ships to one and to increase the tor
pedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers to
twelve each. 1t was defeated-7S to 1A
Mr. Underwood (Dem., 4Ala) offered an
amendment appropriating $4,000,0G0 for the
establishment of government armor plate
factory, He did not think it proper with
a. war cloud over the country to criticise
the price fixed in the bill for armor plate.
but his amendment looked to the future.
Before the battle ships authorized in the
bill were completed the government could
save the extortion to which it was now
subjected. He went briefly into the results
of the governments Investigation of the
cost of armor plate to show that the manu-
facturers had mulcted the government. The
amendment was ruled out on a point of
order
An amendment to reduce the cost of
armor plate to $500 per ton was defeated.
This completed the bill and it was reported
to the House and passed. Then, at p. M,
the House adjourned until Monday.