Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-24
WAR SHIP FIGHT
President Talks Straight to Sen. alors and Warns Tbem Not
 10 Block Recommendation
MAY BE A CANDIDATE
Special to the Democrat. )

Washington, D. C., April 24.-A controversy which, for bitterness Of feeling engendered, has not been equaled in the Roosevelt adminis- tration, has developed between the president and the congress. What the result may be, it is impossible now to foretell. There are all sorts of possibilities in it, among them being an extraordinary session of congress this summer.
 The present strained situation has grown out of the presidents insist ence upon his naval expansion pol icy. He has recommended to the congress the authorization at this session of four great battleships. The question has been under consider ation practically throughout the present session. By decisive vote. the house of representatives decided that provision should be made for only two battleships. In this de- termination, the house probably will have the support of the sen ate when it comes to final vote.
 Backed by the full power of the administration, however, President Roosevelt is continuing the fight for four ships. Within a day or two, the president has been aroused thoroughly by proposition to place in the naval appropriation bill au- thorization of two battleships, but without an appropriation to begin the work on them. He has told the leaders of both branches of con- gress fatly that, unless the bill shall carry sufficient appropria- tion to start the construction of the vessels, even if only two should be authorized, he will veto the bill when it reaches him. No general appropriation bill has been vetoed by the president in many years and President Roosevelt's attitude has created a genuine furore.
 The president has been perfectly frank in his statements to the con gressional leaders He realized full we'll the attitude many of them oc- cupy towards him and is willing to make an issue before the people if they are looking for contest of that kind. He is quoted as saying to two senators in the course of discussion of the four battleship proposition:
 You gentlemen at the Capitol seem to be under the impression that I will be political nonentity after the 4th of next March, and that, therefore, you now are at practical liberty to do as you please with such recommendations as l make. Let me tell you that you never were more mistaken in your life, if you harbor any such notion.'
 The significance-the political sig nificance-of the presidents declara- tion shook his callers to the very soles ftheir shoes and it quiety has been discussed by such as have been made acquainted with it. Did it mean that. after all, the president might be nominated for the presi- dency again and that the controver- sialists lat the Capitol might have to reckon with Roosevelt for another four years? That is the meaning most generally attached 10 1t and it has thrown some of the presidents opponents in congress into a cold precipitation. Frankly, they are afraid of him. He has the whole lot of them "buffaloed," to use a street colloquialism. They know he has the people of the country back of him and they fear for their personal political safety.
 The president may not succeed in securing the adoption of his four battleship proposition, but he will get an appropriation for the construc- ton of those vessels which congress does authorize or there will be an extra session of congress.