, 1900-05-12
SENATOR LODGE DELIVERS A SIC
NIFICANT ADDRESS ON
ARMOR QUESTION.
Urges Immediate Construction o. New
Ships Regardless of Price of Armor
Plate-Believes Germany Is Con-
templating a Test OF the Monroe
Doctrine.

dickering with Denmark to exchange
the province OF Scheswig-Holstein for
the Danish West Indies.
Washington, May 1l.-During to-
days senate discussion of the naval
bill a notable speech was made by Mr..
Lodge of Massachusetts upon the neces-
sity of building up the United States
navy yard without delay. The speech
was delivered with the Tgor and ear
nestness characteristic Of Mr.. Lodges
discussion of public questions, and at
tracted much attention.
Mr.. Daniel of Virginia presented an
extended argument in support OF the
immediate construction by the govern
ment Of an armor factory; while Mr..
Allison Of Iowa opposed the project of
a government m factory, on the
score OF economy.
The pending question was the amend
.ment of Mr.. TiIlman OF South Carolina,
providing for a straight price of 5000
per ton for armor and for an armor
plate factory to be built by the govern
ment at a cost not to exceed $4,000, 900.
Mr.. Lodge Of Massachusetts, speak
ing in opposition to the amendment.
said that for the past three years the
senators from South Carolina and New
Hampshire (Mr. Tillman and Mr.. Chan
dler) had been e~ndeavoring to get
.armor at a low price.
The net result of their work had been
to put a stop to the construction of a
navy. The amendment of MI. Tillman.
he said, would absolutely stop the
building OF ships. He had no prejudice
against a government armor plant. In
deed, he was not at all assured that it
would not have been better In the be-
ginning Of the construction Of u ma
Wy to erect an armor plate plant. To
stop the building OF all ships until the
armor plant could be erected would. he
thought, be a fatal mistake.
81 hope and believe" he continued,
that we shall have no war, but a great
feet is the greatest assurance Of peace.
However, We would be foolish. indeed,
IL We should close u eyes to the pos
sibilities Of the situation. We could
never allow the Danish islands to pass
into any other hands than ours"
The European nation which should
undertake to take possession OF those
islands, right on the road to the canal,
and make them great naval stations,
would by that very act become an enc
my Of ours. We could submit to no
such thing as that. The Monroe doc
Urine is a great protection to the Uni
tied States. Men of all parties-demo-
Gratis. republicans and populists, with
out distinction. adhere to that.
81 am by no mean sure that some
European nation (perhaps one whose
navy is receiving such rapid increase)
may lot test the Monroe doctrine.
We may be called to protect that
doctrine in Brazil, or in som other
South American country. am not
c%onjuring up fancies, but I believe the
way to preserve peace is to have such
a navy as no power in the world would
care to encounter"
Mr.. Lodge did not think there was
anybody who did not believe in the
construction Of a navy powerful enough
to defend our coast line and the Mon
roe doctrine. He urged that no further
obstacle should be placed in the way
OF the navy's construction.
In a colloquy with Mr.. Lodge, Mr..
Tillman said it was we'll known that
the navy OF the United States was SUI
perior to that of Germany. Mr.. Lodge,
agreeing in part with Mr.. Tillman's
statement, pointed to the great increase
that was now being made in the Ger
man navy.
IF the senator thinks" said Mr..
Lodge, there is no danger to be ap-
pretended, I fear he undertakes the i'm
portance of the subject subject to
which I have given much considera-
tion."
Mr.. Bacon (Ga-) advocated the con
struction Of a government factory be-
cause he believed it would be a pro-
lection of the interests If the United
States.
Mr.. Daniel (va) favored a govern
ment armor plant, but declared that
armor was no longer In the ascendant
as a means Of defense. we have
guns" he said. that shoot through the
best armor made. It is evident In this
condition Of affairs. that the armored
battkship cannot be regarded longer
as the king Of the ocean. The gun has
superseded the armor."
Continuing he said: mo fact Is bet
ter known than that the United States
wrlr fight o. the, Moaroe doctffae, aH1
n is we'll known. too. that q hight VIII
the United States is = mighty seFeee
business, In which anyapation Is
lily to be worsted:" We
II would bufld an afndor plant DOW"
he said, land I would let the battle
ships wait for their Narmor until We
icould make It."
Mr.. rsnrose Pa.) 66efsd ah amend,
ment authorizing the secretary Of the
navy to procure the best quality Of ar
mor for the battleshiDs Maine. Ohio
Ma MsuuAiry1- Al S4o fthnsstkA. ihMud.