The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-11
SENATE DEBATE
ON NAVAL BILL

WASHINGTON, March 3-In the
Senate debate on the Naval bill Senator
Hale classed Great Britain first, France
second and the United States third II
naval strength saying the popular i'm
| preston that Germany outranked this
country was fallacious. Mr.. Hale ac-
ceded to a proposition by Mr.. Perkins
that IN effectiveness OF appliances the
United States stood next to Great Brit
ain. This was due to the fact that we
had been able to take advantage of the
| mistakes OF European Powers.
MIR. Hale said that Japan was the
smallest OF the naval Powers with the
exception OF Austria, but had an advan-
tage in being only few hundred miles
from 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.
Il hope they won't retire the Oregon, ,
said Mr.. Stewart.
We'll, they ought not to-" said Mr..
Hale, but she has not the stateroom
facilities that meet the fancy of naval
officers. She mas the Same number of
I3-inch guns and the same fighting capa
city. Nothing suits naval 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 un-
I'll the smoke lifted
MIR. Hale said he had no censure for
the officers of the navy.
But the naval officer is a naval Of
ficer, 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 direction
of enormous ships"
The naval board programme contem-
pI4ted forty-eight battleships and TWEEN
ty-four armored cruisers, and when that
stage was reached an appropriation of
$2oo,ooo.ooo year would be necessary
for the navy. He thought it probable
that the appropriation required next year
would be $I2o, 100000. 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.
officer was a man of merit, but Congress
had its responsibilities and should know
where the money was going.
Il am" he said, mot to be deferred
by criticism of want of patriotism.
want a powerful navy. 1t is necessary
on account of the conditions. We have
Il, 4l,a
for instance 1t is different from what it
is with Japan, who will do her fighting
at home In case of war we should have
Philippines. But there is danger of 60
ing further than necessary.
Mr.. Hale admitted that the last ex- !,
tensive additions to the navy had been |
made necessary by the acquisition of the +
and said that he, for one,
would like to get rid of those inlands. |
Still, so long as we have the islands, we
must protect them. Likewise, he said,
4 navy sufficient to protect the Panama
canal
Mr.. Lodge spoke at some length on
he need of a good navy to protect our
rade and uphold the Monroe doctrine.
ne ulu IlOl DSilcNS TIC tOiPCuOr OOdl
would supersede the battleship, and said
hat in our war with Spain the torpedo
yessel had been a complete failure.
Mr. Money said that If we were to
,ersist in our policy of subjugation we
would find necessary a greater navy than
ne people were willing to support. Mr..
Money spoke of the prowess of the Japa-
ese and quoted high authority
S predicting that in few months the
russian fleet would be overcome. Then
fould follow the japanese victories on
md. They would secure Korea and
robably a part of Manchuria- Next
hey would go to the Philippines.
At the suggestion of Mr.. Hale an ap-
ropriation of 100000 for the restora-
on of the frigate Constitution was m
erted.