Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-05-02
Congress Plan Puts It in Pc.
.sition Second Only 10 Great
Britdin'S Fighting
Array.
MESSAGE REBUKtS
HOUSE LEADERS
Presidents Latest Communication
Regarded as Direct Slap at Can
non and Other Members Who
Are Holding UP Legislation
Roosevelt is Urging.

Washington, May 2.-Friends of tn,
navy, and especially President Roose
welt, are pleased with the outcome OF
the effort to enlarge the naval pro
gram, Whether the United States /!
second or third in rank among the
navies of the world Is disputed. In
tonnage, including ships now being
built, France outranks the United
States The totals for the battleships
are: France S36,112, United States
| 771.75S. In number of battleships the
| United states outranks France 25 to
lS. The great navies of the world
now rank in tonnage in the following
order.
England, France United States.
Germany, Japan, Russia, Italy and
| Austria. England has fifty-three bat
| tleships, France eighteen, United
states twenty-five and Germany
twenty-five. OF battleships oeing built
England has six, France twelve, Unit
ed States six, Germany nine, Japan
four, Russia six and Italy seven. In
Guiding ships built and being built
the warshirs tonnage of the princip pal
naval powers is stated as follows:
Great Britain, 1.s2i,610; France,
S36, 1l2; United states, 771,75S; Ger
many 6S0t602; Japan, 451,32O; Rus
sla, J2r.ofa5 italy, 2es. .4s3, and Aus
tria. 1926
Although Great Britain stands first
IL battleships and cruisers and France
Us second in tonnage the United States
at present really exceeds France in
the number and tonnage of battle
ships, and the promised two battle
ships year will maintain the suprem-
acy of the United States over France.
The possible political effect OF the
presidents message is being consid-
cred with increasing uneasiness by
members of Congress. That the pres
ldent has called public attention to
the great number of important public
questions which Congress has refused
TO consider Is unquestionably true. But
at the same time he has made so clear
an exposition of the policies of the
administration with respect to those |
questions that the country, while APP |
plauding his utterances, may lose |
sisht OF the congressional negligence |
that called them forth on the pros
pects or Secretary Taft both as a
candidate for the nomination and as
I candidate for election, the effect OF
ne message can only be beneficial.
standing as he does for the policies
'f the administration, the secretary is
placed in position where the sins of
congress should not affect him in the
iIlgEtest degree. Instead il Is made
near that If the country wishes these
policies carried out II must look to
tart for their execution, and not TO
ny man selected oy the very congress
lonal leaders who refused them con-
lceration in this session.
1t Is suggested that the message Is
direct rebuke to Speaker Cannon |
nd the House bosses. 1t Is probably 1
ne first time on record that the read
lg of so important a communication
rom the president was ever post
oned from one day to another. What
ppeared to have been a slight In the
louise, however, could not have been Z
voided. The House was in the midst
roll call on a motion to recess
when the message was received Mon
ay afternoon. The roll call was sus-
ended long enough to permit the pre- .
htation of the document to the =
'eaker. Then 1t was resumed and at -
$ conclusion the House was actually =,
recess. The reading of the message u
as therefore impossible.