The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-02
STEVENS SHRINKS
FROM CHALLENGE
Won't Let Lind Draw Him into
a Debate on Gen.
Wood.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April 1.-The
house today passed the sundry civil
appropriation bill, after voting down a
proposition by Mr.. Sulzer to recommit
it with instructions to strike out the
appropriation of $136,600 for rent of
the New York custom house.
The remainder of the day was de-
voted to discussion of the conference
report on the army appropriation bill
With the exception of one amendment
providing certain increases in the sig
nal corps, the house disagreed to all
other important senate amendments
and the bill was sent back to confer
ence. The proposition to consolidate
the Office of the adjutant general with
that of the record and pension division
and make Brig. Gen. Ainsworth, chief
of the latter division. military secre-
tary with the rank of major general
and put him in charge, and the amend
ment to allow officers who served in
the Civil war who retire or already
may have retired, to retire at the next
higher grade, met strong opposition.
Mr.. Hull offered an amendment to
the latter eliminating the clause but
no officer shall be entitled to the bene-
fits of this provision who receives any
advancement of grade at the time of
retirement or with a view to retire
ment."
He explained that the section as
amended would give to all the officers
of the army who served in the Civil
war, whether they were now on the &C
tive or retired list, an additional grade.
He offered a further amendment pro-
viding that the provision shall not ap-
ply to such officers as have been re-
tired under authority or special acts of
congress.
Mr.. Stevens (Rep., Minn.), a member
of the conference committee, opposed
the senate amendment. He refused to
be drawn into an argument with Mr..
Lind, who asked him what rank Gen.
Leonard Wood would hold today if he
had not received executive favor, say
ing that he would confine h. 1self to
the question before the house and that
he would not attempt to explain all the
different promotions in the army.
On a rising vote-54 to 65-the house
refused to adopt the Hull amendments
and disagreed to the entire amendment
of the senate.
Get Warm Over Alaska.
The house got into a debate over the
senate amendment apprOpriating $780,
900 for continuing the construction of a
military wagon road from Valdez to
Fort Egbert or Eagle, Alaska.
Mr.. Stevens declared the road was
Of the utmost public necessity.
Mr.. CuShman (Rep., WaSh.) made an
earnest plea for the adoption of the
senate amendment and illustrated his
remarks with a specially prepared map
of Alaska, over which he traced the
line Of the proposed road. He explain
ed the difficulties of transportation of
supplies in Alaska which he said made
1t very costly.
Mr.. Hull emphatically declared that
there was no military necessity for the
road. He insisted that the question
of constructing roads in Alaska ought
not to be entered upon until the mat
ter was thoroughly investigated. In his
opinion, it would take 100000 to build
the proposed road.
Speeches in support of the amend
ment were made by Messrs. Lind
(Dem., Minn.). Tawney (Rep., Mimi },
Van Duser (Dem., New, Jones (Rep.,
Wash.) and Sulzer (Dem., N. ". Mr.
Hay (Dem., Va) and Mr.. Prince (Rep
I'D strongly opposed it. On a rising
vote, So to 100, the house disagreed to
the amendment of the senate.
The senate amendments were dis
agreed to appropriating 900 for
locating and constructing a military
trail between the Yukon river and
Coldfoot on the Koyrkuk river, Alaska,
and authorizing the construction of a
bridge across the Spokane river in
the county of Spokane, Wash. The
bill was sent back TO conference,
Messrs. Hull Ia.), Stevens (Minn) and
Hay (Va.) being continued as con-
fereeS