The Portland daily press., 1898-04-26

governments uuprepdrou, ZOE 6no country
was in the midst of war;" and the gov
eminent was in the fortunate position
where it was obliged to pay the price de-
manded by the "Trust" He argued that
it had been demonstrated that the armor
could be made for 1926 a ton and ex-
pressed the hope that no opposition would
be raised to proper reduction In the
prise of armor in the future. Mr.. Butler
charged that the ships of this country
were covered with defective armor
Mr.. Hawley challenged that statement
81 emphatioally deny" said he. 'that
there is any such amount of defective ar
NOR on our warships as the Senator from
North Carolina declares there is. And
even if the statement were true, leave
the country to judge of the propriety of
| Haunting the defects before Spain. -
| "While am in entire agreement with
the Senator from Connecticut" inter-
jected Mr.. Chandler of New Hampshire,
'sI am satisfied that the senator, Mr..
Butler Is mistaken. Investigation has
shown that the ballistic tests of the arJnor
will satisfy
Mr.. Chandler appe aled to Mr.. Hale,
chairman of the naval affairs COMMITTEES
and latter said:
| "The armor upon our ships is the best
in the world. No European government
has armor on its ships as good as ours -
| Mr.. Butler was proceeding to read some
testimony taken before a committee Of
the House of Representatives relating to
defective plates on various United States
war vessels and to make sharp comment
upon 1t, when Mr. Hawley said sharply:
II must protest against this. I believe
the Senator from North Carolina is out of
order in making these charges here pub
l1cly. Ii he should reduce them to writing
and transmit them privately to Spain,
pointing out these defective plates he
would be guilty of treason
| MIR. Tlllman of South Carolina called
attention to the fact that the statements
made by Mr.. Butler had been based upon
Official and congressional reports which
were easily accessible to Spain and he
doubted not that the Spanish government
had agents who could gain access to the
doncument rooms of the Capitol. MIR.
b ltler continuing averted to what he re-
g lrded as the 'texcited' utterances of the
senator. Mr.. Hawley, who, he said had
risen and flung at him charges of treason.
He thought those who were guilty of
treason were those who had refused to
make provision for good armor at
reasonable price.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Buffers
speech, Mr.. Stewart Of Nevada inquired
of Mr.. Hale whether the naval bill in
any way committed the government to
battleships authorized in the bill. Mr..
Hale replied that every contract for armor
was made on its own merits. Nothing in
the bill could be construed as committing
the government TO pay any particular
price for armor. In reply to a suggestion
of Mr.. Stewart Mr.. Hale said it was a
| fact that it had not been demonstrated by
actual service in battle, what the etficien-
cy OF the modern battleships Were All
nations had proceeded in the same line of
naval construction without actual demon
STATIONS of it's efficiency.
docs anybody know" inquired Mr..
Allen, whether the modern battIeship
is lighting machine or not?''
sit is a great fighting machine of
course" said Mr.. Hale, "but it's power
and efficiency have never been demon
strated. 1t he's impregnable armor, the
finest OF known ordnance and excellent
machinery, but it is fact that it has
never stood the final crucial test of naval
battle. -
Mr.. Allen inquired if it were not true
that armored vessels of the monitor class
had proved efficacious.
Mr.. Hale replied that that was quite
true. He thought the United States
ought to have a good feet of harbor de-
tense vessels of the monitor class, with
low freeboard.
Mr.. Tillman made an extended speech
in favor of the proposed amendment in
the course CT which he had passage at
arms with Mr.. Chandler based upon q re-
port made by the latter favoring a resolu-
ton of the price Of armor.
Mr.. Chandler pointed out that it was
impossible for the government to secure a
better price thans4O0 a. ton for armor until
it should enter into long time contract,
whereby certain specified amount Of ar
NOR would be taken each year
Mr.. Bacon of Georgia, thought the price
of armor exorbitant, but in the present
emergency he would not support the
amendment.
Mr.. Hale declared that both the naval
affairs and the appropriations committee
were opposed to the construction of a
government arm or factory as they were
thoroughly satisfied it would neither save
time nor money. On the contrary, the
cost to the government in both time and
money would be in excess of that now
paid if the government should enter upon
the manufacture of armor.
Mr.. Hale then moved to lay the amend
ment on the table and it was SO ordered
by vote of SO to IL. Mr.. Hale offered an
amendment authorizing the Secretary OF
the Navy to enlist at any time after the
passage of the act as many sealnen, lands
men and boys as he may deem necessary
to man tie ships Of the navy or for the
use of the navy as a temporary force and
appropriating 49, $50, 600 for that purpose.
MIR. German, of Maryland. objected to
the term temporary force as indefinite
ana GnOlgAb Une UlIn0 OuSIlG W 10 ilullUeQ.
Mr.. Hale agreed to an amendment
offered by Mr.. Cockrell, of Missouri, that
the time limit should be during the OK
istence of war"
The amendment was agreed to. the
amount appropriated being made imme-
Giately available.
An amendment was also agresd to pro-
viding that hereafter all the first class
battleships and monitors shall be named
after the various states. The bill as
amended was then passed,
The bill for the better organization of
the line Of the army of the United States
providing for the three battalion forma-
tion was called up by Mr.. Hawley.
1t was read and then the amendments
offered by the committee were agreed to
without division.
One of the amendments is an addition
to the proviso of section three, authoriz-
ing the President to accept the quotas of
troops of the various states and territories.
The committee S amendment requires that
these quotas shall be Gin companies,
troops and batteries, each to contain. SO
far as practicable, the number of enlisted
mon authorized in this act for each arm
Of h<n Of L.