Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-25
THE MODERN WARSH|P
Subject Of Earnest Debate in
the Senate.
NAVAL APPROPRIATION
CONFERENCE REPORT ON BILL
ADOPTED AFTER DISCUSSION.
House Disegrees to Senate's Amend
ments to the Emergency River
and Harbor Bill.
NAVAL APPROPRIATION


On converting today the Senate passed
the following bills: To provide for public
building at, Auburn. Ne.
To change and hx the time for holding
United States courts at Knoxville. Tenn.
To provide for an associate Justice of the
supreme court Of New Mexico.
Senator Cullom gave notice that he would
address the Senate tomorrow On the sub
ject Of the foreign relations Of the United
States.
A conference report on the District of Co
itnabia appropriation BILL in which all DIFF
ferences between the two houses were adj
1usted except as to the Police Court and
municipal buildings, was presented by
Senator Allison and agreed to. A further
conference was ordered
Governor Odell of New York was visitor
in the Senate chamber. He took a seat be-
tween Senators Plat and Depew.
Mr.. Hale called up the conference report
on the naval appropriation bill eliminating
all differences between the two houses.
The Modern Battle Ship.
In making statement on the report Mr..
Hale criticised the modern battleship. "Un-
der the light of everts that have transpired
in the east" he began. land the very re-
markable developments in naval warfare
that have been disclosed. II the matter had
been open. I should certainly have been in
favor Of striking out Of the bill the provision
for the battle ship, or that no steps be TAX
en- toward committing ourselves on this
question until after the next session of Con-
gress. But. as 1t has been agreed to by both
houses, it was out Of the Jurisdiction Of the
conference committee.
Il may say that If were Secretary of the
Navy, in the present condition, should not
dare to go on and commit the government
to the building Of another immense battle
ship costing 100000.
THE lessons of war between Russia and
Japan thus far go 10 chow the vulnerability
and the unsafety Of these immense and
lofty battle ships and the undesirability at
present of committing ourselves to the fur
Their construction OF them. The great and sa-
lent events of the war show how incomplete
as an engine of war is one of these enor-
nous high-turreted battle ships. If she Is
struck below the water line and the center
of gravity is disturbed she turns over like a
turtle al everybody ca board is drowned"
Mr.. Spooner-'1s the language Of the bill
permissive or mandatory as to the construc-
ton of the battle ship"
Mr.. Hale-"The language is permisSive
and undoubtedly the President and Secre-
tary can withhold action"
Mr.. Bacon-"I desire to call attention that
when. this naval bill was under considera-
tion I suggested that the improvement IN
submarine engines was such that 1t would
be comparatively short time before the
battle ship. however 1t might be protected
against the ordinary projectile, would be
out of date and obsolete"
Mr.. Hale-"The senator was wise In his
suggestion. But events since then have
advanced with such startling rapidfty that
the suggestion becomes more apparent. The
trouble with the great, immense, lofty bat
tie ship. which. If senator's have never
seen. does not look like a ship but great
fertilization. Is that when she is hurt she
can fight no longer. Other structures may
be hurt. may be splintered. may be dam
aged. but they keep on fighting
But if an explosion takes place through
hurried firing in a turret, 1t is more than
ship Is blown into the air and everybody
OIL board killed. Aside from the occur
rences in the east. where the large Russian
battle ships have been disabled and put
out of service. we have had three ex-
plcsions on our own battle ships within a
year, on the Iowa, the Massachusetts, and
later on the Missouri. And 1t Is only the
breadth Of a hand that prevented the en-
tire battle ship Missouri, the latest of our
battle ships. and the best in that design,
from being entirely destroyed If the mag
azine had been communicated with by the
fire of the explosion the whole ship would
have gone. Just such an accident as that
is likely to occur in any turret at any time
during any battle"
Mr.. Stewart expressed the opinion that
the battle ship would soon be an engine of
their place.
Continuing. Mr. Hale said he would not
be surprised if 1t turned out that we have
bad investment in the $150. 900 we have
paid for these larger battle ships. He
thought the Incidents Of the Japanese-R Rus
sian war, such the destruction of big
ships. would have their effect in Fastening
naval experts to such a conclusion. He
said he had no fault to find with the board
which determines the character Of vessels,
for other countries have made the same
mistakes. He thought Congress should leg
islate on the character of battle ships for
the navy, and not leave 1t to the depart
ment.
Mr.. Allison said the discretion given to
the President to defer action for year was
a wise one, because of the fact that test
of battle ships was going on In pretty
lively way in the far east
Mr.. German said he wanted to repeat
what he had said on a former occasion,
that the appropriation was too great He
said we were going too fast. due to the
pressure brought to bear by the administra-
ton.
81 hope the President will refrain from
using the ap preparation now in the interest
of the country" he said. But that Is not
the way to legislate. Congress should say
what the expenditures should be, and
should specify what battle ships should be
built"
Conference Report Adopted.
The conference report was agreed to.
Mr.. Penrose submitted a conference re-
port on the post Office appropriation bill,
which went over until tomorrow.
Bills were passed as follows:
To create the Davenport division of the
southern judicial district of Iowa.
To establish a regular term of the United
States circuit and district courts at Lewis
burg, w. Va.
Mr.. McCumber called up his resolution
for the revision of the pension laws. Mr.
Gallinger said that a revision was now
under way by a commission of competent
persons. and another revision would re-
quire unnecessary work.
why is 1t necessary for Congress to do
any labor on pension affairs?" asked Mr..
Bailey. why not leave it all to the
Secretary of the Interior and let him run
1t by executive order in the future, as he
has in the past?"
The resolution went to the calendar with
out action.
Mr.. Bacon spoke on the Dolliver resolu-
ton on the question Of the capital invested
in trust combinations in comparison with
investments by individuals or copartner-
ships Independent of trusts" He took is
she with Mr. DoIlfyer In the staternapf