The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-23
INSISTS ON -FOUR BAITLESHIPS
PRESIDENT TRYING TO CONVINCE
INDIVIDUAL SENATORS.
Ills Allies In the senate Make = Canvass
and Succeed In Getting Only Twenty
Names on Their Lst-COnte6t Regarded
a. HOpeIess-Vague Threats OF VetOes.

and Succeed IN Getting Only Twenty
Names on Their Lst-COnte6t Regarded
a. HOpeIess-VaEue Threats OF VetOes.
WASHINGTON, April 22.-President Roose-
welt has started In on a new tack N force
Congress to adopt his programme for the
construction Of four b%attleships Instead OF
two, the number allowed 10y the H0uEs n
recommended to the Senate by the Naval
Committee His special message urging
that four first class battleships be authorized
having failed to influence the House or the
members Of the Senate Committee, he is
now resortlng to the more direct method OF
ask z Senators personally TO vote TO double
| the number Of b~attleships provided for in
the pending bill.
Several Senators to whom the President
has talked on the subject have told their
colleagues that Mr.. Roosevelt intrusted to
| them that he might veto the naval bill II II
did not contain a provision for four battle
ships. It is not likely, however, that Con-
gress will be Influenced by any such hint
from the White House
The vote by which the four battleships
proposal was defeated In the House was de-
cisive, and while the Pacific Coast Senators
and other Republican Senators are heartily
in favor Of the Presidents plan of increase
there ia no general desire in the Senate to
20 beyond tho provision for two vessels.
The, President 8 allies in the Senate were
busy to-day continuing the canvass OF their
associates TO ascertain how many we're in
favor Of four battleships 1t was said after
ward that they had succeeded in getting
only twenty-siX names on their list. This n
only three more than a fourth Of the total
membership Of the Senate, and the contest
In behalf Of the President is regarded as
! hopeless Senator Lodge Of Massachu-
setts. Senator Piles Of Washington and Sen
ator Beveridge Of Indiana have been the
most active supporters OF the White House
propaganda
Members OF the House are inclined to re-
sent the Presidents suggestion that ne
would veto the omnibus public building oil
II an appropriation for four battleships waB
| not included in the naval bill From the
temper displayed by Representatives who
expressed themselves on the subject to-day
il seems probable that the public building
bill would be passed over the Presidents
veto II he went to that extreme TO punish
/ AOIkINhD III ~ AAhlAlb hA' 'aN'f6 49,
gard to the battleshlps.
Aside from the private letter which the
President recently addressed TO Speaker
Cannon, tho full contents OF which have
never been made public. no extraordinary
reason has been given for urging the four
battleship programme as a matter Of Inn
mediate vital importance. There nave
been hints Of the danger OF a foreign war,
but the President has not, Of course, put
/ Is-...IF sa,,aralu In thn TngltiDn NJ 1Ial NO
this powerful weapon in the fight now being
waRed for the increase Of the navy. Enough
ia known Of the letter 10 Mr.. Cannon 10
Justify the statement that the President
used AN argument quite different from that
which he used in his special message 10
Congress. The letter 10 the Speaker con-
tanned at least an intimatlon OF imme-
diate special reasons for naval increase,
while the message TO Congress on the sub
Just reiterated the familiar argument that a
big navy is the best guarantee OF peace.
There Is considerable pa, turbation at the
White House nd the Navy Department
over the discovery that the naval oil as II
passed the House and was reported 10 the
! Senate by the Committee on Naval Affairs
did not contain any direct appropriation OF
money for building even the two battIeshlps
and ten torpedo boat dostroyers iuthor-
lied by the bill. The items relating to
THESE NoSotlS lHololg ''N'
construction, and the necessary phrase
that tho required money lis hereby appro-
priated' is lacking in each case.
IL il evident that the appropriation
clause was left out purposely, both by the
House committee and the Senate COM
mittee under the bill as II now stands. Au-
thOrity to build the vessels Is granted, out
il will I've necessary to wait until next sesslo
to get the money for beginning work.
Secretary of the Sayy Metcah has written
TO Chairman Hale Of the Senate Naval
Committee calling his attention 10 the
omission and asking that the bill be amended
so as to provide for beginning work in
July. Ii is not likely, however, that any
attention will be paid 10 the appeal.
In addition to emitting TO appropriate
for the battleships and destroyers the
Naval Committee failed 10 include an appro-
%priation for conducting work on submarine
boats now under construction, Two mil
lion dollars will be necessary for this pur-
pose. Il is declared that il the money
Is not allowed the building ofthe submarines
must stop. The amounts wanted by the
Navy DEPARTMENT are s., OO0,OOO 70 the hull
and machinery n the two battleships and
ten destroyers, S., 40O,0 900 for the armor and
armament Of these vessels and 100000 for
the equipment,
A signifcant feature Of the failure OF the
naval committees to include an appropria-
tion clause in the naval bill with reference
% the yesse 8 mentioned IL that the bill
contains an appropriation for the building
Of eight new submarines and two GOLFERS
! and for the purchase OF three golfers al
raadv hIilt