The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-03-11
DISCUSS NAVAL BILL.
ienate Spent Much Time Considering
Subjects Relating to Naval APP
propriation Measures.

preparation Measures.
Washington, March 5.-For almos,
four hours the senate, while techni-
lcally engaged on the naval appropriate
ton bill, discussed a wide range OF
subjects, including the policy of thj
United States in the Philippines ana
the RusSo-Japanese war. The prip!
cfpal participants We're Senators Hale,
Bacon, Lodge, Depew, Patterson. Per-
kins and Money. Senator Hale. ,iH
charge Of the, naval bill, criticised thu
plans of the naval board as tending
to an establishment beyond the needs
of the country. |
Senators Lodge. Depew and Perkina
defended the naval officers. Senatot
Lodge declared a large navy essential
to the maintenance of peace.
Snator Money said he did not con-
slider the total appropriation, $97, OO0.-
600. carried by the bill as excessive
under u present policy in the orient,
He. however, criticised that policy, al
did other democratic speakers.
Constant Progress in Warships.
After a general ak regarding the
naval rank Of different powers, IN
which he classed the United States All
third, Senator Hale spoke OF the con-
slant progress In warships. adding:
In our navy there is talk of putting
many Of our vessels, such as the Orel
gon, Indiana n others of the SAND
class, OF the retired list"
Il hope they Won't retire the Oregon
said Senator Stewart.
We'll, they ought not o." said Sena-
tor Hale. But she has not the state
room facilities that meet the fancy Oh
naval officers. She has the same NUNS
Der Of l3-inch guns n the same fight
ing capacity. Nothing suits the navN
officers except the largest battleships."
Tie expressed the opinion that tho
present war in the orient would show
that other vessels are more valuable
than large battleships, but admitted
that no definite conclusions could bd
drawn until the smoke lifted.
Senator Hale said he had no censurq
for the officers of the American navy,
but the naval officer is the naval Of
ficer pure and simple, and the Ameri1
can navy bounds his complete horizon,
10 him the navy is everything and tho
naval board has run too much In tho
direction Of enormou ships. In some
respects the naval officers are like Tho
farmer who wants to raise the biggest
pumpkin. They don't wan Great Britt
ain or Germany to excel the United
States"
The naval board program contem1
plated ~forty-eight battleships and twen1
ty-four armored cruisers, and when
that stage was reached an a%ppropria1
ton of $500, 900, 900 q year would I'D
necessary for the navy. He thought i!
probable that the appropriation re-
quired next year would be $40, 600, 600.
If, however, the scale should be kept
down to the present rate of increase,
the appropriation would not be in
creased.
I'VE should" he said, get along with
$780, 200, coo a year.
Defends Naval Officers.
Senator Perkins defended the officers
of the navy, saying they were entitled
to great credit.
Senate Hale admitted that the
American officer vas a nan of merit,
but congress had it's responsibilities,
n should know where the money was
going. II am" he said, mot to be de-
tered by criticisms of want of patriot
ism. | want a powerful navy. 1t is
necessary on account of the conditions.
We have got to have ships in the Phil
ippines, for instance. 1t is different
from what 1t is with Japan, who will do
her fighting at home. In case of war
we hould have to spend hundreds of
millions in the Philippines. But there
is danger Of going farther than neces-
sary."
Senator Hale admitted that the last
extensive additions to the navy a
been made necessary by the acquisition
Of the Philippines and said that he for
one would like to get rid of these ISL
ands. Still, so long as we have these
islands we must protect them. Like
wise, he said, it now would be necessary
to maintain a navy sufficient to protect
the Panama canal.
mate Lodge spoke at some length
on the need of a good navy to protect
our trade and upheld the Monroe doc
trine. He did not believe the torpedo
boat would supersede the battleship
and said that in our war with Spain
the torpedo vessel had been a COM
plete failure. There had been one very
successful attack by the Japanese tor
pedo boats, but this was due largely
to the poor gunnery Of the Russians
and the darkness.
Predicts Trouble in the East.
Senator Money said that if we were
to persist in policy of subjugation
we would find necessary a greater
navy than the people We're willing to
support. Senator Money spoke of the
proWess Of the Japanese, and quoted
q high authority as predicting that in
a few months the Russian fleet would
be overcome. Then would soon follow
the success of the Japanese on land,
They would secure Korea and prob
ably a part Of M%anchuria. Next they
would go to the Philippines. 1t was
to fear in the orient.
At the suggestion of Senator Hale
an appropriation of $500, 900 for the
.,~.X H.