The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-26


 tee, under the leadership of MT. Meyer of Louisiana first gave their endorsement to the measure, are campaigning for re- duction in the number of ships to be au- thorized
 The amendment to strike out the or dered battleship yesterday. made by Mr. Burton of Ohio was defeated. The cruis- CTS were then put to the test and enough friends for them were found for their retention. The construction of the ships in government yards proved to be fruitful topic for discussion, and an amendment by MT. Pell of California, re- quiring one collier to be built in gov ernment yard was amended.
 Proposition for Preferential.
 A proposition for a preferential of four per cent in favor of bids from the Pa ciic coast was defeated after MT. Der mott of New Jersey had delivered hu- morous speech in which the shipbuilding trust and the state of New Jersey were put forward for the charitable considera- ton of the house.
 Don't give up the ship" was the plea made to the house by Representative Meyer of Louisiana, who opened the de- bate on the naval bill and addressed him self to the pending amendment of MT. l Burton, to strike out the provision for the 1 battleship authorized in the bill. MT. Meyer took MT. Rixey of Virginia, to task because in the debate yesterday he had endorsed the Burton amendment. Admir- al Dewey MT. Meyer said. had empha- sized before the committee the necessity for battleships, recommending them as preferable to cruisers.
 '1s not Admiral Dewey president of the board, the recommendations of which are disregarded by the commlttee?' asked MT. Rixey.
 Yes" replied MT. Meyer, "but would rather take Admiral Dewey's Judgment than that of the board" he stated he was in the minority but he also was in the minority In famous trial a few years ago and the country has indorsed his posi- l ton"
 Motion to Recommit Bill. MT. Meyer offered a motion to recommit the bill to the committee with instruc- ton to eliminate the provision for two cruisers and to make several other changes but explained that if he were to follow his own judgment and desires he would urge upon his colleagues the &C., ceptance of the whole building.
 But" concluded MT. Never. "yielding to the judgment of many of my col leagues, I am quite willing to advise A somewhat more moderate programme '' Senator Germans announcement that the navy was top heavy" and that there were now too many ships guns and men was made text for remarks by MT. Mudd of Maryland. He believed the state- ment of MT. German was important in view of the senator's probable candidacy Tor the presidency. In Maryland, he said, MT. German had no great record for economy.
 l w. W. Kitchen of North Carolina said that the facts presented by Mr. Burton had not been answered In any way, al- though his republican colleagues had l pulled the republican platform of Ohio on him and declared him to be out of line with his party. MT. Kitchen named va- rious foreign governments and asked af- ter each: Are you afraid of any of these nations?" His answer was No" He said the only cause for fear was In the pres ent occupant of the White House, and adding, He will not be there long"
 Present War Is Lesson. Mir. Gillett of Massachusetts said the present condition of the war between Ja- pan and Russia Justified the building programme in the bill I've see Russia ,'' he continued, that enormous power men, aced and humiliated by a power not a quarter or tenth her size Is not the only clear reason for this because Russia s l power on the sea Is not commensurate with her power on land? What would Russia give today if she had followed another programme for her navy during the past ten years?" asked Mir Gillett. The chances which Japan had to win in 1 this war he declared to be about even.
 Mir Fitzgerald of New York. declared that before the war between Japan and | Russia broke out Russia's navy was more than double that of Japan.
 In ships. continued Mir. Fitzgerald at the scene of the action the two powers were declared to be about equal But he I | men behind the guns that counted. | In concluding the debate on the Burton amendment MT. Toss referred to the scur- ryng to the interior of the country by | frequenters of summer resorts by the sea during the Spanish war. The rich he de- olared paid visit to the banks got their strong boxes and fled into the interior. | Mir. Burton's amendment was lost on rising vote of 63 to 12. MT. Burton of Ohio and MT. Bishop of Michigan were the only republicans to support the amendment while fully twenty democrats voted against the measure. H
 Mir w w. Kitchen moved to strike from the bill the provision for two ar mored cruisers, defeated 65 to l2e. | Torpedo Boat Amendment. | MT. McNary of Massachusetts offered an amendment for the construction of ten | torpedo boat destroyers of which five 1 shall be built In government navy yufds. Mir. McNary called attention to the gr eat work of torpedo boats at Port Arthur. i He said that the United tSates stood far behind other nations in this respect | MT Dayton of West Virginia said the 1 United States navy consisted of forty-six ships of the largest class, such as battle 1 ships and cruisers, 59 vessels of the mes | senger' class, 6S of the gunboat or pop | gun class, and 6l in the guerrilla war fare or torpedo boat and torpedo boat | destroyer class He held this was an ann pie number of thes latter classes. These l boats were easily and quickly built if needed for an emergency.
 Mir. Foss in opposing the torpeoo boat destroyer amendment. attributed the suc- cess of the Japanese at Port Arthur to the fact, as explained by the czar that war had not been declared. The Japanese minister had not left St. Petersburg, and the Russian minister had not left Tokio. The Russians, he said. might have been carrying out this alleged peace policy of which so much was being said. It was not wise course. he said to form policies | on the reports of the hour, The proper time to draw a lesson from the Japanese Russian war was after 1t had been ter minated. The amendment was defeated 56 | to S1.
 | Limiting Maximum Price. An amendment by MT. Rixey of vir- ginia, limiting to a maximum price of $sss ton, the amount to be paid for nrnor plates, and should armor not be obtainable at this price that a govern. ment armor plate factory be erected, was