The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-06
PEACE TALK IN The HOUSE.
Mr.. BARTHOLDT SAYS UNITED
STATES MUST TAKE THE LEAD.
" the Hague Conference Adopts Proposals
for Peaceful Settlement Of Interna.
tionaI Disputes. lie says. We May stop
Construction Of the Zig Battleship.

Construction Of the mig Battieship.
WASHINGTON. May 5.-General debate on
the Naval Appropriation bill was concluded
in the House Of Representatives, in COM
mittee of the whole.
Mr.. johnson of South Carolina opened the
days debate with a speech expressing his
disapproval of the present naval policy Of
the Government.
Notice was given by Mr.. Bartholdt, Of
Missouri, at the opening Of a speech eview
ing the movement for permanent and uni
versal peace Of his intention TO offer an
amendment to the provision for a new
battleehip. II was to the effect that il the
second Hague conference should adopt
proposals looking to a settlement Of inter-
national disputes by judicial decisions and
arbitration the Secretary Of the Navy
should AVE discretion to defer the on-
struction Of the battleship (Applause.l
This was a question, he said, rather for
statesmen than for naval experts. From
contact with learned men of other countries
Mr.. Bartholdt said he was satisfied that in
this peace movement the United States
must take the lead. and there was no other
way, in his opinion, in which the position Of
this country could be so well expressed as
for Congress to declare by the adoption OF
this amendment its sympathy with the
movement.
Mr.. Bartholdt explained the purposes
and the work OF the Interparliamentary
Union. Of which he is President. He said
1t was the purpose of the union to make OF
the Hague conference a pc rmanent body
composed of two houses, an upper house,
representing the executives Of the world.
and a lower house, composed of the men,
bers OF the highest legislative bodies of the
various powers Of the earth. This had been
the suggestion Of the American group and
1t had met with the general approval of the
union.
At the conclusion Of Mr., Bartholdt's
speech, Mr.. Webb Of North Carolina en-
tered upon a forty-fve minute speech to
show that the battle Of Kings Mountain.
In his State, was the most important con-
hict Of the revolutionary war.
Mr.. Tirrell of Massachusetts, criticised
the methods Of enlistment for the navy,
asserting that to a considerable extent they
we're responsible for the desertions. He
suggested that before e~nlisting men under
81, who swear that they are over IS, in fact
being n they should fully acquaint
applicants with the fact that If they swear
falsely in this regard n the fact becomes
known. they are subject to prosecution for
MI. Driscoll Of New York asked Mr..
Tirrell II the fact that service in the v
WAS of n mental nature and that the training
and spirit of independence Of the average
American boy made him contemn the duty
or work OF a servant was not responsible
for assertions.
Mr.. Tirrell: Maybe something was said
Of the Illuminated posters used to attract
American youth TO naval service, which
led Mr.. Mann of Illinois to observe that il q
man or concern in private life used such
advertisements he would be denied the use
of the mails for fraud.
Closing the general debate, Mr.. Weeks
Of Massachusetts,, a graduate Of the Naval
Academy, said that the criticism of his
colleague upon officers detailed for recruit.
received 40 credit for the number Of enlist
ments made, but for the number Of efficient
enlistments, determined by the number OF
men " ~ served their terms, 40 that there
was no possible inducement Tor an officer
otherwise. for by SO doing he laid himself
liable TO c~ourt-martial He replied TO some
Of the points made yesterday by Mr., Burton
Of Oh o in his speech opposing the main
tainenss or increase psa es 81 the he. navy Ivy VIVA rot m.
posed to a navy, and Mr.. Weeks said he
would like TO ask him what kind of a navy
he really did favor-a navy o~ne-quarter
big enough to defend our interests, one
half big enough, or just big enough, There
was great difference Of opinion on tn 8 sub
ject: many people sincerely believed that
there should be no navy at all, while,
on the other hand, there is a gentleman
from A labama [Hobsonl who is going to
stop in Congress on his way to the Pres
dency long enough to tell why we should
have a billion dollar navy" Laughter and
applause.l
The paramount necessity for an adequate
navy, according to Mr.. Weeks, lay in the
securing and holding Of foreign markets
for the surplus products Of u manu-
features. In the first place the navy was
the best advertisement of the United
States, especially in the Orient, and, SEQ
ondly, IL the open door was not maintained
the United States would specially lose
its foreign trade, for that door could be
kept open only by she possession Of a suffi-
Gent sea power. From the fact that the
on Naval Affairs provided but
one battleehip Mr.. Weeks concluded that
It believed the navy of the United States
was now sufficient to compete with those
Of their commercial rivals, FOR the one new
vessel will only take the place Of the Texas,
soon to 60 to the junk heap.
The major part Of Mr., Weeks's speech
devoted to a refutation Of the charge
made by Mr.. Hepburn of iowa in the de-
bate on the anti -hazing bill, Of inefficiency
and want Of morale among officers OF
the navy, as evidenced by the number