Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-15
Mr.. Beall of Texas Opposes
Large Appropriations.
STATE OFTHEREVENUES
MR.. GAINES PREDICTS THAT
THEY WILL BE FOUND AMPLE.
Mr.. Perkins Declares That No Ship
Now in Commission Will Ever
Be Engaged in War.

When the House of Representatives met
at II o'clock today the naval appropriation
bill had the right of way. For the mrs.
time in many years the proceedings were
opened without prayer.
Bills were passed authorizing the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to appoint a deputy
collector of customs at Manteo, N. c.; 10
amend the act to prohibit the passage CT
special local laws n the territories 10
limit territorial Indebtedness, and to legal
ize the Indebtedness of school district NO.
1 in Pawnee county, Okla; amending the
Revised Statutes SO as to classify the n
spectors of the steamboat inspection serv-
ice. This last bill was one of the num-
Der drafted to meet conditions developed
by the General Slocum disaster.
1.-THE Spirit of Militarism."
Upon resuming consideration of the naval
appropriation bill Mr.. Beall (Texas), in OPP
posing large appropriations for the army
and navy, declared that the United States
had gone mad over the spirit of militarism,
which was sapping the substance of the
people. The government was paying as
much attention to ceremonies, pomp ana
power as any government on EARTH ana
he said it was the most extravagant gov
eminent in the world. He compared the
heavy army any navy expenditures of TINS
country with those of other nations. ana
in referring to Russia said that she spent
more, but Russia is a despotism, gov
eminent hated by it's own people and de-
spised by the people of the world" and
that she maintained her existence by the
power of her arms.
Mr.. Beall referred to the Presidents
speech in New York on Monday night, in
which 1t was maintained that while the
United States should at all times cultivate
friendly relations with other people and
talk pleasantly to them. the upbuilding of
the navy must go on. There was never
nation that played the bully among other
nations of the world, Mr.. Beall remarked
in that connection, that there was not some
other nation ready to engage in death
struggle with it. and he predicted history
will repeat itself with u.s."
Ample Revenues Predicted.
The apprehensions of Mr.. I.ittlefield re-
garding an enormous prospective deficiency
were not shared by Mr.. Gaines CIV. Va),
who produced statistics, furnished him by
the Secretary of the Treasury. to show that
the revenues would be ample to meet the
requrments.
A plea for economy in the appropria ton
was made by Mr. Sparkman (Fla.), who
prophesied that not in the next generation.
nor possibly in the next century, would this
country become involved in war between
any of the great world powers.
Entertaining a similar sentiment, Mr..
Perkins On. " ventured the assertion that
no gun or any ship now in commission or
on the two battle ships proposed by the
bill, if they were authorized would ever
fire a hostile shot. He provoked sharp
discussion by declaring that warShips dis
integrated inside of twenty years.
Mr.. Brick 0nd) took issue with him and
cited the Texas, while Mr.. RiXey (Va.)
maintained the correctness of Mr.. Perkins
position by stating that high naval officers
had declared most of the ships now in serv-
ice to be obsolete and of no account.
The statement was fatty controverted by
Mr.. Dayton CIV. Va), who declared that
there was not a single naval officer who
would say the ships in the American navy
were antiquated and out of date.
In defending the bill reported by the ma
val committee, of which he is member.
Mr.. Brick said the United States was a
world power of irrepressible expansion. II
Russia had had the battle ships and the
sea pow er she would still be in Port Arthur
today.
The principle of unfolding the Monroe
doctrine through battle ships was declared
b. Mr.. Thayer (Mass) to be unnecessary,
since" he said, we are protecting 1t by
the dictum of the gentleman at the other
end of the avenue who doesn't require any
battle ships or law whatever to back him
up.