Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-25
DEBATE ON NAVAL BILL
Senate Considers Question of
Four BattIeships.
Mr.. PlLES'' AMENDMENT
Voted Down Once, But Action
Reconsidered.
BEVERIDGE RESENTS ATTACK
Repeatedly Charges Misquotation.
Aldrich, Hale and Lodge
in Discussion.
Mr.. PILES AMENDMENT
,EVERIDGE RESENTS ATTACK


in the Senate shortly after that body re-.
assembled today. with the Piles amend
ment FOR four battleships the pending
business. No one appearing to desire to
discuss the provision, a vive voce vote
was taken. which resulted in its defeat.
Senator Piles was absent from the cham
Der when the vote was taken, but soon
returned and when he was advised of
what had occurred Said he had been call
ed out and did not think it was fair to
have his amenment voted on in that way.
Mr.. Hale promptly disavowed any pur-
pose to obtain party action and asked
that by unanimous consent the vote be
considered as not having been taken
This was done.
Senator Culberson moved an amend
ment requiring contractors constructing
the battleships to work their men but
eight hours a day.
Mr.. Aidrich expressed regret that
statements such as those of Senators
should have found utterance in the Sen
ate.
Not Speaking for President.
I'm my opinion" he said. these sena-
tors had no authority whatever to speak
fo- the President Of the United States. as.
for instance. when the senator from
Indiana said IL this amendment should be
considered in executive session it would
receive the unanimous vote Of the SEN
ate"
Mr.. Beverage protested that he was
not quoted correctly, and Senator Hale
interrupted to say Mr. Beverage did say
that IL this matter could be discussed In
executive session there would be no doubt
that four ships would be ordered.
Mr.. Aldrich deprecated all talk Of the
likelihood of war with friendly nations.
Interrupting Mr.. Piles said he had not
spoken yesterday with authority of the
President. Il got my information he
said. through mis- message"
Now, we have one disclaimer from
the senator from Washington" declared
Mr.. Aldrfch, land l have made the other
for the senator from Indiana, and 1 hope
he will make it himself
Mr.. Beverage said he would reply to
that question in the remarks he would
make.
Resuming. Mr.. Aldrich said the state
ment of the senator from Indiana that
Of nayies was without any verification in
fact. and insisted that the senator name
such cases. In reply Mr. Beveridge re-
ferred to the loss by China Of the penin-
weak Chinese navy. and said II Russia
had had a strong navy there would have
been no war between that nation and
Japan.
RetOftlhS QUICKLY, MI. Aldr1cn declared
that the senator from Indiana in his book
on the Russian advance had insisted that
Russia had q stronger navy than Japan.
The Indiana senator jumped to his feet.
saying that what he did say in the chap
ter referred to was that from appearances
the Russian fleet was not as bad as it
seemed to some people,
Mr.. Hale Interrupts.
Mr.. Hale had gone to the last row of
seats in the chamber and interrupted from
that place.
Since the senator from Indiana he
said. has made this remarkable denial
will say have had myself the pleasure
to 60 over the pages of the whole Rus
sian Advance, and the whole book IL de-
voted to the proposition that no nation
could stand in the east before Russia and
that she would dominate and drive all
before her"
ut would SEEM" insisted Mr.. Aldrich,
smiling. that the senator from Indiana
has no more capacity as prophet than
as historian and stati:tician."
rs there a senator" he said. resuming
his comment upon the battleships. who
does not believe that II there IL to be a
war all the resources Of this country
would be placed at the disposition of the
executive for the army and navy?"
Aldrich and Beveridge.
The Indiana senator insisted that when
war was imminent it was too late to talk
Of battleships. as they could not be built.
I'VE could buy ships" insisted Mr.
Aldrich. and this statement being dis
puted by the Indiana senator. he added
that ships had been bought at the be-
ginning of the Spanish war.
Again Mr.. Aldrich. referring to the
debate yesterday. said he could not al
low senators to rest under the imputa-
tions that those who did not vote for
four battleships lacked patriotism and
did not favor peace.
Mr.. Aldrieh. commenting further on
Mr.. Beveridge's speech. said he had not
found fault with any senator's judg-
ment. but that he did object to a sena-
tor. getting up here and saying thing
must be done because the President of
the United States wants 1t done and
that failure to obey his wishes means
that senator had not performed his
patriotic duty"
Again and again Mr.. BeveridEe pro-
tested against statements made by Mr..
Aldrich and charge that continually he
was being misquoted by the Rhode
Tel