The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-04-17
President Points Out Need of
More Fighting Boats.
CHINA CITED AS AN EXAMPLE
Special Message to Congress Holds
Celestial Empire as Specimen
OF Peace at Any Price,"

of the president in support OF MS plan
for an appropriation for four new bat
tIeships, concerning which there has
been so much speculation, has been
received by both houses of congress.
There was considerable delay In the
reading of the message in both the
senate and the house, in the senate
because Senator Foraker was engaged
in making his Brownsville speech
when the document was received, and
in the house because that body was
in committee of the whole on the
naval appropriation bill. :
That the message was designed to
influence the house to increase the
number of battleships provided for in
the naval bill from two to four was
generally understood and the dispatch
Iof the message was intended to be
so timed as to reach the house just
before the taking up of that provision.
The debate on the naval appropria'
tion bill was on when the message
arrived, and it quickly became noised
about that the anticipated document
had reached the house. All sorts of
questions were asked of the floor lead
ers as to when the reading of the mes.
sage would begin, but a typographical
error in the print of the message was
seized upon by those opposed to the
-four battleship plan to delay the
reading in the hope that the pro-
vision relating to the battleships
would be first reported and thereby
discount any effect the message
might have in bringing members over
to the presidents view. 1t looked at
one time as il it would be necessary
to return the message to the president
so that he might make the necessary
correction, and when this was avoid
ed further delay was caused by the
necessity of change which would
transfer the committee of the whole
into the house proper and then return
to the committees method of proceed
ing. Consequently the bill was not
laid before the house until just before
the close of the days work.
1t was enthusiastically received by
the advocates of large navy.
The "antis" later gave vent to their
feelings by applauding a petition from
a number of citizens Of New York city
which was read at the instance of Mr..
Tawney protesting against the ex-
travagance of spending over $6O,0OO,-
900 for four battleships." .
These demonstrations afforded a
fair opportunity to judge the temper
of the house as a whole on the propo-
sition. 1t was evident that the op.
ponents of four battleships were in
the majority, although the final vote
will be close.
On an objection by Mr.. Williams,
Mr.. Hobson was prevented from hav-
ing read a memorial from laboring
men favoriAg the building of more
ships.
The message was read in the senate
under disadvantage. 1t was present.
ed Immediately after the conclusion
of Senator Foraker's speech and while
Vice President Fairbanks was engaged
in an attempt to restore order. There
was a loud hum of voices and the
exodus of the throng from the gal
leries added to the noise to such an
extent that it was quite difficult to
hear the reading of the message. The
secretary of the senate came to the
rescue of the situation by skimming
through the document in short order
and a motion to adjourn ended the
dilemma. Senators and members
were supplied with copies of the mes
sage and many read it with avidity.
The message was brief but vigor-
Gus contention for the rapid develop
ment of the navy. China was held
up as an example of the peace at any
price" doctrine and Great Britain as
having a naval policy to be emulated.
1t was contended that the result of
the last Hague conference made it
plain that the nations would not for
some time, if ever, agree on plan of
limitation of naval armament. Dis
claiming any intention on the part of
the United States ever to engage in a
war of conquest the president made it
plain that the country could ill-afford
to relax into position where insult
would have to be borne in silence.