New-York tribune., 1908-03-21
SUBSIDY BILL PASSED.
Hale ON FLEETS CRUISE.
HelpIess Without Golfers, He Says
-Nosc Dependent on Foreigners.
IFro-n The Tribune Bureau. ]

TFronn The BureauJ
washington March 2o.-The Senate passed
to-day the postal subvention bill without dv
sion although there ample indications that
rad a division been called for the nays would not
have eQualled more than one-fourth of the Sen
ere This bill, which is the latest form of the
shipping bill. authorizes the Postmaster General
10 pay 10 mail carrying vessels sailing to South
America and the Orient on voyages of not less
than four thousand miles and making from six
teen TO twenty knots. 81 mile outward voyage.
and making from fourteen to sixteen knots, 80
mile The bin provides further that if con-
tract is made under this law for line between
some South Atlantic port and South America
the Postmaster General shall, if two or more
lines established between North Atlantic
ports and South America, require one of them
20 touch az least at two ports south OF Cape
Charles on the outward and incoming voyages
II finally provides that the total expenditure un-
Ger the bill shall not exceed the estimated reVe-
nues from the foreign mail service. AS that ser
vice now pays an estimated profit Of sS.eeo,oco
annually and as this profit is increasing at the
rate Of anproxinately s50o.0o0 year, it leaves
considerable latitude TO the Postmaster General
N make contracts for mail lines The
necessity for passing this bill arises from the
eact that the postal subventions hitherto au-
.horized have proved sufficient to cause the
establishment Of American lines 10 South Alllei-
,cs and the Orient. Under the law vessels
p-hich have enjoyed mail subsidies must In case
IF mar be turned over TO the government II re-
,ui-ed st q price be fixed by mutual agree
r1ent OF by arbitration.
1I-,,,,a the hill was on passage Senator Hale
made the important statement that there are
,,or rozS enough American vessels 10 ProNioe
coaI for the Atlantic feet on its cruise around
IRE world: that foreign vessels had to be reileo
on for the Pacific cruise and viii nave 10 pe
-slie6 on almost entirely for the voyage to AUS
tralia and the Orient. He clearly Indicated MS
Relief that the feet should not have been sent
so far from its normal base as TO nave Hidue
spcb reliance necessary. as. were war existent or
,-,n5ran- foreign colIers could not serve the
American feet The sending OF the -4eet TO the
Far Fast is he declared. in effect a guarantee
of peace on the part Of the United states a'
least until the fleet shall have returned TO lts
Atlantic base.
SENATOR HALE'S SPEECH
Senator Hale spoke of the great need for ad-
djtjonal auxiliary ships for the navy, but said
.bev should be provided for in the naval appro-
r-iarion bill He said there were with the Amer
fcan fleet now going around the world only hiiie
American colliers while there were twenty
eight foreign vessels.
..Tf there should he war. no government would
Us
- out them our magnificent feet would be as use
-, = . -si-taa shin on painted ocean,. he
asserted.
r- Hale declared that the American fleet was
the most magnificent and formidable squadron
cf s.1irs any nation had ever put on the oceaii-
-But~ he declared. --the people do not reaIze
how. he,nless this feet is without coliers that
are not liable TO be called away in moment oI
need by foreign governments IL thefe Siioiu
he even a menace OF war, do not Know pu'
that every neutral power represented IN THESE
ships would be compelled TO withdraw theih
from the feet and We would he hung up some
.binr must be done in this entirely neglected
s43d that We have in a foolhardy way rashly
abandoned in the past
He spoke Of the voyage Of the feet as d spec
tacular exhibition intended 10 affect our status
sr home and in the orient. Certainty not Win
England nor with Germany, although 1or ioui
or FIVE years the fear of danger with Germany
was expioited as a reason why we wanted ihoie
ships.' and said but / take it the reason Is 10
irnuress the Eas1-the Orient-with our power
F-,e, t--,1ara never sends such enormous
feet about the world. Hence / conclude the
rnyace has been undertaken for the beneht OF
The East to impress everybody with it as the
feet goes along But without auZiliaries ne
said the feet could not impress the nations
Is there any doubt" asked Mr. Teller, that
every nation knows our naval strength as wen
Is WeT-
The Senator must ask the president le
Piled Mr Hale
7 DO not believe il is necessary said Mr.
Teller. The exhibition is possibly not SO much
FOR influence on Asiatics as on the American
Congress"
Senator Burkett said he did not think II was
right 70 tell the world that this country IS IN 'he
rniserably helpless condition pictured by Ihe
Senator from Maine He said the cohoilioh
existed as il did in the Spanish war, ""e''
there were many auxiliaries that couid nave
been obtained if tne government had cared to
Fay the necessary price
The war with Spain Mr.. Hale said, was
var with Z weak country on our own coast 1t
was very different thing from war WITH
Js-an'
He declared that all he had said was Wen
known by every foreign power.