The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-09
IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
The senate Discusses the Naval Ap-
preparation Bill

preparation BILL
At the conclusion Of the routine morning
business in the Senate. the Naval Appro-
priation bill was taken up. and Mr. Hale.
in charge Of Il. said that he would leave
the question or secret session with the
Senator from South Carolina CAIr. Till
mani, on whose motion the doors had been
closed yesterday
Remembering what occurred in the Sen
ate yesterday" said sfr- TiIman. and the
predictions that were made. and in view Of
what appeared in the newspapers this
morning. I really feel that any attempt 10
keep the matter from being made public is
almost hopeless. II viii be remembered
by Senators who were here yesterday. and
who have read the nU.-Ing papers today.
that there is a great deal more in the pa
pers than was brought cut here So it
appears thar we might as we'll"
Here Senator's Vest ard Chandler broke
in with question Of order, and M. Till
man did not finish his sentence.
4 suggest" said Nj. Vest, that We
had better 90 into executive session"
Let NE get through with my obserya-
tiors." Mr.. TilIman pleaded.
i make my motion" said Mr. Vest,
because I do not wish the Senator's
statement to be made in public"
4 was merely going 10 state" Mr.. Till
man persisted. that in consequence Of the
newspaper publications this morning, ! an
not going
But Mr.. Vest again interposed and NJ.
Chandler said that he joined in the mo
ton that the galleries be cleared and the
doors closed
ThereU2on the President p-o temp-ra
(Nr- Frye gave the necessary orders. ana
the Senate proceeded 70 consider tie Naval
Appropriation bill behind closed door.
At l O'Clock the doors were reopen d.
and the Senate continued consideration Ct
the Naval Appropriation bill
Mr. TilImsn moved an amendment TO the
committee amendment as 70 "armor ard
armament" His proposition was to strike
out the provision authorizing the Sec e
tary Of the Navy 20 procure armor al rot
over S4i5 per ton and 10 make the other
prOVisO direct the Secretary OF the Nayy
without any preliminary Co1ditoa) 10 es-
Jablish az SrmOT plate factory at q cCs-
Tot 10 exceed "a Geo eco
MT- Hale spoke Of the remarkable ad-
vance made in recent years by the United
States in the construction Of naval ships.
arrested by the conflict which had arisen
regarding the cost Of the aTm0r plate for
warships- He had felt that the Govern
/ i->enr was being imposed upon BY the
charges made for armor and an investi-
CATION had been ordered The result OF
that investigation had been taking the
manufacturers by the throat as il were.
and compelling them to reduce their price
10 S4e0 ton.
The Naval Committee had thought that
the price should not exceed $500. but had
found it impossible to get armor at that
price The cost OF shins that were in
course of construction was to be eighty
millions. and the cos Of their arrnor thirty
i've millions The G nmittee on Naval At
fairs had become sobered when brought
face 10 face with this condition. and he had
felt bis own convictions giving way. He
had never believed in Government armor
plant. but he had begun to see that unless
something was done in that direction the
Government could not get armor at a reas-
enable rate. The committee had then set
Itself 10 devise some plan that would com
pei the manufacturers to furnish armor for
a reasonable price The Secretary Of the
Navy had been authorized 10 pay S445
ton
The committee would rather not have 20
resort 10 Government plate armor fac
tory One reason Tor that was that no
armor could be produced in il under two
or three years-and he was inclined to
think that il would take from four TO
five years to produce armor in a Govern
ment plant and in the meantime work
would have TO stop on all the great ships
now being built and that would be au-
thorized next year and the year after that
He had no idea, then, that armor could
be produced at a Government factory for
S445 a ton. but if the manufacturers would
not furnish armor at that price, then he
would be decidedly in favor Of a Govern
ment plant.