Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-24
SENATE IS
OBDURATE
FOUR BATTLESHlP PLAN Is
DOOMED
MANY AMENDMENTS TO BILL
BETTER THE SERVICE
Bitter Attack Made During Discussion
on Steel Trust, Which Is Charged
with Looting the United
States Treasury
Special to The Herald.

special TO Inc Herald.
WASHINGTON. April 23.-The
final struggle of President Roosevelt
ana his adherents to have the -four
battleship" amendment accepted by
the senate Is due tomorrow.
When the senate adjourned today II
was with the understanding that the
question would be discussed and finally
disposed Of al tomorrow session. The
majority, it Is expected, will stubbornly
resist and eventually kill the amend
ment.
the house amendments to the naval
appropriation bill We're offered in the
senate today by Senator Gore of Okla
homa to allow the building of the new
battleships. submarine boats, ETC., au-
thorized by the bill at any shipyard in
the world, and taking away the re-
Strlction in favor of domestic steel.
Mr.. Gore had no support in his first
motion to permit the building of the
ships abroad, and 62 votes were reg
istered against him. His second mo-
that all the parts of these ships and
the steel material used in them shall
be of domestic manufacture.
On motion of Mr.. Hale that amend
ment was laid on the table, 4S to 8,
Mr.. Gore securing the support of Sem
ators Bacon, Culberson, Davis, Gary,
McCreary, Milton, Money and Simons,
all Democrats.
In Offering these amendments Mr..
Gore delivered an inpassioned appeal
to the senate to strike blow at the
steel trust.
Mr.. Gore offered the amendment, he
said, to rescue this country from the
tolls of the steel trust" which he re-
garded as "the tapeworm of the treas
ury."
Scares Steel Trust
The steel trust, he said, not only
holds up the country but it held up
the American merchant marine.
Replying to question Mr.. Hale said
the United States was paying $416 per
paid s450, France $500 and England
1925 ton. Mr.. Hale insisted that the
investigation of the steel trust some
years ago had brought about re-
duction of the price of armor from $3.50
and 5000 to $416.
An amendment by Mr.. Hale reducing
the stipulated speed of the two colliers
from 16 to IA knots was adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Hale the amount
made by the house of $1,000,0 toward
the construction of eight submarine
torpedo boats was increased to $3,000,-
600, which may be applied toward the
completior of submarine boats here
tofore authorized.
An amendment appropriating $780,,
900 for a "new trunk-in battleship
hoist" proposed by Mr.. Hale, was
adopted.
An amendment was agreed to ap-
propriating $1,000 900 toward the con-
struction the machinery, armor and
armament of the vessels" authorized in
this bill.
The pay of the enlisted men in the
hospital corps of the navy is made the
same as that of seamen of correspond
ing rating by committee amendment
which was adopted.
on a point of order made by Mr..
Lodge the committee amendment Civ
ing naval officers rank on the same
basis as that provided for the staff of
the army and providing that COM
mand of vessels shall be exercised only
by line officers were stricken from the
bill as general legislation.
Pay for Heirs
On motion of Mr. Dick of Ohio the
bill was amended so as to allow six
months pay to the heirs of officers
and men of the navy dying in the
service.
Irons as a means of punishment are
barred from the navy by a provision
inserted in the bill by Mr.. Nelson of
Minnesota Mr.. Nelson had a letter
read saying that while irons are sup
posed to be eliminated from the navy
as a matter of punishment, yet they
are still used.
When the bill had been nearly COM
pleted Senator Pile of Washington of
fered an amendment increasing the
number of battleships from two to
four, asking at the same time that
final consideration of this measure be
postponed until tomorrow.
Mr. Hale believed the senate had
made up it's mind about that matter.
but as two or three senators wished
to speak on the subject he favored
postponement of consideration of the
amendment until tomorrow.