Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-08
Senate Discusses the Need of More
Officers,
TIE NUMBER ON SHORE DUTY
1t is Claimed That It is in Excess
of What It Should Be.
CLAIMS IN THE HOUSE

desk of Mr.. Mallory Fla-) at the opening
of today's session of the Senate. Mr.. NAL
lory has been Ill during almost the entire
session, and has just returned to his duties
in the chamber.
The chaplain in his invocation made a
touching reference to the bereavement OF
Mr.. Culberson Tex3 by the death Of his
distinguished father.
A bill reported by Mr.. Allison from the
finance committee to reimburse various rev.
enue collectors for internal revenue stamps,
charged against them but not accounted
for. aggregating in amount $S,573. was
passed. The districts and amounts are as
follows: Terre Haute, Ind, 1896; Burling-
ton, Iowa, 5000; Boston, Mass, 81 ,O53; st.
Paul. Mimi. $3.50; New York city Second
district, s1.256: New York city third dis
tricD, s1SS; Chillicothe Ohio. 81 ,40S; Cleve-
land, Ohio, $3.50; Pittsburg Pa, 1910; Biz
mingham, Ala, S100.
Mr.. Stewart presented a concurrent reso-
luton directing the Secretary of War to
have made a survey of the Colorado river
from Eldorado Canon to the town of Rior-
vile. 1t was passed.
A resolution offered by Mr.. Thurston
(Neb) calling upon the Secretary of the In
terror for information as to the financial
affairs of the Santee Sioux Indians of Ne
braska also was passed.
Consideration was then resumed of the
naval appropriation bill, the pending ques-
ton being the committees amendment,
striking out the paragraphs in the House
bill relating to naval cadets and inserting
the following: whenever any naval cadet
shall have finished four years OF his UNDER
graduate course of six years the succeeding
appointment may be made from his con-
gressionai district or at large in accordance
with existing law"
Mr.. Foraker COhio) vigorously opposed the
amendment to strike out the House pro-
vision. He felt that 1t was an injustice TO
the cadets to walt two years after gradua-
ton before they received their commissions.
In answer to a question by Mr.. Lindsay
Mr.. Foraker said the navy now was short
of officers. He believed that they ought to
be given their commissions when they were
sent to sea after graduation.
Mr.. Hale, in charge of the bill, said there
were enough officers to man the vessels 81
the navy. If so many of them were not en-
gagged in shore duty.
Mr.. Lodge believed 1t would be unwise
to reject the committees amendment. He
thought 1t would insure steady and per
manent enlargement Of the complement OF
naval officers.
Mr. Caffery La) strongly opposed the
amendment, declaring there was now a
shortage of 697 officers in the navy.
Mr.. Ttllman, a member of the naval COM
uittee, supported the amendment. He
pointed out the immense responsibility de-
Volving upon naval officers in the care at
sea of great battle ships and cruisers. and
he did not approve of sending to sea green
MOI MS III CudES VI plopeity WYNN
lions of dollars.
Mr. Foraker asked If the naval affairs
committee did rot know that every naval
. officer who had spoken on the matter. the
be ard of visitors to the academy and the
superintendent of the academy were in
favor of the abolition of the last two years
of sea service.
Mr. Tillman said he was here to do his
duty as he saw it, and not in accordance
with the suggestions or opinions of naval
officers
Mr.. Chandler presented an extended ar
gument in support of the committee amend
ment He said Congress must expect that
the advice received from the Navy Depart
n,ent would be in the direction of aggran-
dtzement in the direction Of an increase of
ships. of officers and of men. He was con-
WINGED, he said. that the six years course
ought not to be abandoned. for. If it were.
as years progressed a greater number of
inferior officers would creep into the navy.
In a characteristic speech. Mr.. Tilman
arraigned the Navy Department for having
so many officers on shore duty, who. he de-
clared, were doing little but drawing their
salaries.
Mr.. Hale denied a proposition which had
been advanced by Mr.. Foraker that the
cadets performed the duties on their two
years cruise of Junior commissioned off,
GERS.