The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-04
HALE EXPLAINS
THE NAVAL BILL
49,
Maine Senator Unsparing in
His Criticism.
PHILIPPINES A DRAWBACK
SOME TALK OF RETIRING THE
OREGON.
PHILIPPINES A DRAWBACK

Washington. March 3.-The senate to-
day set aside the special order for the
day. the consideration of Alaskan leg
islation, in order to permit the consid-
Grafton of the naval appropriation bill
The reading OF the committee amend
ments to the naval bill was begun. but
before IL had progressed very far. Mr.
German asked for a statement in ex-
PLANTATION Of the bin from Mr.. Hale. i'm
charge Of the measure.
Mr. Hale explained the bill. He
classed Great Britain first. France sec
ond and the United States third in
naval strength. saying the popular i'm
preston that Germany outranked this
country was fallacious. Mr.. Hale ac-
ceded 10 a proposition by Mr.. Perkins
that in effectiveness Of appliances the
nited States stood next TO Great Brit
air. This was due 10 the fact that we
had been able TO take advantage Of the
mistakes of European powers.
Japan's Advantage.
AIR. Hale said that Japan was the
smallest of the naval powers with the
exception Of Austria. but had an ad-
vantage i'm being only a few hundred
miles of the farthest naval operations
IN which she might become involved.
In our navy" said Mr.. Hale. there
Is talk of putting many of our vessels
such as the Oregon, Indiana and others
of the same class on the retired list"
I hope they won't retire the Ore
gon." said Mr.. Stewart.
We'll, they ought not to-" said Mr.
Hale. but she has not the state room
facilities that meet the fancy of naval
officers. She has the same number of
l3-inch guns and the same fighting ca
pacity. Nothing suits navy officers eX-
cept the largest battleships-"
He expressed the opinion that the
present war in the Orient would show
that other vessels are more valuable
than large battleships. but admitted
that no definite conclusions could be
drawn until the smoke lifted
His Horizon Limited.
Mr.. Hale said he had no censure for
the officers Of the American navy.
But the naval officer is the naval off
Ger pure and simple. and the American
navy bounds his complete horizon. To
him the navy is right. and the naval
board has run too much in the direc-
ton of enormous ships" The naval
board programme contemplated forty
eight battleships and twenty-fOur ar
mored cruisers, ana when that stage
was reached an appropriation of $20G
100000 a year would be necessary for
the navy. He thought it probable that
the appropriation required next year
would be Sl20.OOO.OO0 If, however. the
scale should be kept down, TO the pres
ent rate Of increase, the appropriation
would be increased.
Mr. Perkins defended the officers of
the navy. saying they were entitled TO
great credit
Mr.. Hale admitted that the American
officer was a man of merit. but con-
Eress had its responsibilities and should
"a no no o.
am he said. not to be deferred by
criticisms OF want OF patriotism.
want a powerful navy. II is necessary
on account of the conditions. We have
got seven good ships in the Philip
pines, for instance 1t is different from
what IL is with Japan, who viii do her
fighting at home. In case of war we
should have TO spend hundreds of mil
lions i'm the Philippines, but there is
danger of going further than neces-
Sary.'
Philippines a Drawback.
AIR Hale admitted that the last ex-
tensive additions to the navy had been
made necessary by the acquisition OF
the Philippines and said that he. for
one. would like TO get rid Of those
islands. still. SO long as we have those
islands we must protect them. Like
wise. he said. it now would be neces- /
sary TO maintain navy sufficient TO
l'IDlttN the I dllttllld tdlltl
Mr.. Lodge spoke at some length on
the need OF a good navy TO protect our
4 ade and uphold the Monroe doctrine. I
lie did not believe the torpedo boat
would supersede the battleship. and
said that in our war with Spain the I
torpedo vessel had been "a complete (
failure.
Mr. Money said that if we were to /
persist i'm our policy of subjugation we I
would ind necessary greater navy 4
than the people were willing to sup
port Mr.. Money spoke Of the prowess Z
Of the Japanese. and quoted "a high au- /.
rhOrity as predicting that in a few I.
months the Russian feet would be
overcome. Then would soon follow the
japanese on land. They would secure I
Korea and probably a part of Manchu- |
ria. Next they would go 10 the Philip |
pines
At the suggestion of Mr.. Hale. an ap-
preparation Of $4,000 for the restOra- |
tiou Of the frigate Constitution was in
serted. The senate. at 500 p. m. went
into executive session, and at 5:15 ID, /