Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-09-27
THEY CRITICISE THE
MOVE OF FLEET
Congress Sanction Is Need
ed, Members Say.
WILL CONDEMN COAL HAULING
Proposal of Department to Have Fuel
for Pacific Fleet Brought to Amer.
lean Ports in Foreign Vessels
Is Regarded as Violation
of Law.
WILL CONDEMN COAL HAULING


with the visit Of the battle ship fleet
to the Pacific are being criticised by
such members of Congress as happen
to come into Washington these dull
days. That the large expenditure of
money this naval movement will en-
tail will be a subject of discussion in
Congress none will deny. While it is
admitted that, as comander-in-chief,
the President may order the army
or the navy to maneuver wherever
he deems best, his authority to order
extraordinary expenditures in con
nection herewith, without the sane
ton of Congressional action, is dem
| led by certain public men.
Criticism along this line is aimed
| particularly at the coal bill involved
and the plan of the department to
| have the coal for this fleet carried in
foreign ships. The use of foreign
/ ships in this connection, it is de-
clared by a number of public men
who have looked into the subject, is
not permitted under existing law
BY a broad construction of the law
there appears TO be some warrant
for the purchase of foreign coal, but
in permitting foreign GOLFERS to
compete with American vessels for
the contract of taking coal from one
| American port to another or of carry
ing any coal intended for the use of
the United States ships of war, it is
contended that a violation of thecoast-
wise and other laws of the United
States is about to be committed.
What makes the alleged offense
more fragrant is that. according to
the understanding here, it will be
perpetuated in the face of an opinion
by the department of the govern
ment having charge of the enforce
ment of laws governing merchant
vessels. This. is the Bureau of Navi-
cation, of which Eugene T. Cham
berlain is chief
Mr.. Chamberlain declined to make any
statement when he was asked If it
was true that his bureau had given
an adverse answer to the question
whether the Navy Department had
the right to contract with foreign
merchant vessels.
COaStwiSe Laws imperative.
1t is understood that when the ad-
ministration found that the Bureau
! of Navigation construed the Federal
statutes to be prohibitory of the use
of vessels of foreign register in carry
ing coal or other supplies from one
American port to another, the Navy
Department put its own legal ma
chinery into operation, with the re-
suit that an opinion was obtained
which was interpreted TO mean that
the coastwise laws would not apply
in the matter of using foreign bot
toms TO carry coal for the fleet.
To Capt William Y. Judson, [. S.
A., is given the credit by many Off
GERS of the army and navy for the
suggestion that resulted in the order
sending the battle ship feet to Pacific
waters. Although several causes may
have operated to induce the President
10 issue this order, it is believed the
determining factor was an obserya-
ton made by Capt Judson in his
report on the Russo-JapaRese war.
Capt. Judson was with the Russian
army in Manchuria as an American
military observer; his official report
. has just been published by the Gen
eral Board
In citing the lessons through that
war Capt. Judson made use OF the
following, which undoubtedly was
brought TO the attention of the Presi-
dent:
1T is interesting TO reflect upon
what would have occurred it, at the
outbreak of war. the Russian feet
in the far East had been limited to
few protected cruisers, all battle
ships being retained in home wa
tiers. II is quite evident that in such
case by the summer Of 1906 fleet
might have been dispatched TO the
. theater of operations with sufficient
. strength TO crush the japanese with
out the question Of doubt.
Indeed, il cannot be believed that
+ the japanese would have precipitated
war If the Russian navy had not
. been scattered to their liking. This
. is to be sure. a naval question, but
+ strategy is much the same on the land
and on the sea, and one is forced to
wonder why We maintain several bat
tie ships on the Asiatic station, subject
( TO destruction in case of sudden
war"