The San Francisco call., 1904-02-25
NAVY PROJECT
STIRS DEBATE
Burton Of Ohio Again Bitterly
Opposes the Clause Provid-
ing for a New Battleship
DISCUSSION Is HEATED
Several Features Are Elimi-
mated From the Bill and
Other Changes May Be Made

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24-Two storm
centers were encountered in considera-
ton of the naval appropriation bill in
the House to-day. First, the great
lakes training station went out of the
bill on a point of order after a wordy
battle. The building programme pro-
posed in the bill then met criticism and
blocked further progress of the meas
ure for the day. Burton of Ohio, the
echoes of whose sensational speech for
peace on Monday had hardly died out,
moved to strike out, the provision for
the single battleship authorized. This
motion is now pending. 1t served as q
text, after Burton had supplemented
his Mondays speech with figures show
ing that the United States was build
ing more naval vessels than any other
European country except Great Britain,
for several Republican speeches, in
which Burton was declared not to be
in line with his party. In the event of
the defeat of this motion and the ac-
ceptance of the whole building pro-
gramme a motion is to be made to-
morrow by Representative Meyer of
Louisiana to have the bill recommitted
to the Naval Committee with the fol-
lowing instructions:
First, to provide for coaling station
and dock at Olangapo, P. l., instead Of
a naval station; second, to eliminate
the provision for two armored cruisers,
and the armor thereof, costing Sic, 5,OOO,-
iy-d m 1iy1,i+ Of
ton as a maxiAum price for armor
plate, with the provision for an armor
plate factory to cost not over 81 ,O0O-
600 if the armor cannot be procured
within the limit prescribed; fourth, that
all vessels herein provided for under
the head of increase of the navy ex-
cept the battleship, be constructed i'll
Government navy yards.
After extended discussion of various
sites the paragraph in the bill provid-
! ing for a naval training station was
ruled out of the bill, Cooper insisting
or the point of order.
Burton of Ohio, in moving to strike
from the bill the authorization for a
new battleship, resented criticisms
which he said had been made against
him for his speech on Monday against
the proposed naval programme. 1t had
been said that he was out of line with
the Republican party. This he denied
vigorously. He justified his position
by comparing the battleship construc-
tion this year with that of other ma
tions of the world. Our construction,
he said, was larger than usual. In
naval expenses the United States was,
he said, with the exception of Great
Britain, so per cent ahead of any Euro
pean nation.
Grosevnor of Ohio criticized Burton's
position. He read the plank on the
navy in the Ohio Republican platform
of 1908, on which, he said, the late la
mented Senator Hanna was so tri-
umphantly indorsed. This plank, he
said, Burton had certainly indorsed,
or at least he had not repudiated it. 1t
read:
AS Americas part in preserving the peace of
developing the United States navy to the high
est efficiency.
Peace on earth and good will among
men depended on good ships and good
guns" was Grosvenor's announced doc
trine. He appealed to the Democrats:
Don't forsake the only good thing
there is in your record. Don't go off
after new idols"
Ar 5.04 n m the House adjourned