Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-11
FOR INCREASE OF THE NAVY
DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES CUT
ABOUT $24, 900, 900.
House Committee Reports for Two
Battleships, Ten Destroyers and
Eight Submarines.

| BY a vote of thirteen to five one mem
| Der absent and not voting the House
| committee on naval affairs as announced
| in yesterdays Star. has rejected the Presi-
| dents urgent recommendation that Con-
| gress at this session authorize the build
| ing of four battleships. at a total cost
of $3S.OO0OOO, and by a unanimous vote
| there has been included in the navy APP
preparation bill an authorization for the
| construction of two TO cost $500. 900
| each and to be of the Delaware type
| THESE representatives voted in accordance
! with the Presidents recommendations:
| Lilley of Connecticut Crepublican). Thorn
as of Ohio republican,. Meyer of Louis
| lana tdemocrau. Talbot of Maryland
| tdemocrat and Hobson of Alabama tdem-
| Ocrat.
Representative Hobson announced after
the committee meeting that he intended
TO make minority report recommending
authorization for four battleships. But
| the authorization. merely, is not enough,
| he said. 1T should include an actual
appropriation So that the work of con-
| struction would begin without a moments
unnecessary delay. Even so. it woul0 be
| three years before these vessels could be
made ready to go into commission, and
this country has 10 time to lose.
The preference of the committee stood
| In favor of d four battleshp authorize
ton. but the voting attitude of the ma
| Jority was expressed by Chairman L oss,
| when he said: "Experience has shown
that it is more profitable in the end to
recommend in the beginning what you
know the Holuse will stand for. A recon-
mendation for four battleships could not
be put through at this session.
The Bill as Agreed Upon.
The navy appropriation bill. as amended
and agreed upon by the committee. car
ries total appropriation of SOL 200. coo
fny hn hi; ,nxf
fiscal year. about $24.OOOO0O less than was
asked for in the department estimates.
Under the head of new authorizations.
for whose fulfillment Congress is bound to
appropriate money at the next session
If the bill as recommended passes the
House and Senate, the committee includ-
ed two batteships. to cost $1,000. 600: ten
destI overs, $S.!0o.CO0; eight submarine tor
pedO boats. S:;.O4O000; total $:;OJ4O, OO0.
or S3S. I3D'OO less than the total for new
authorizations asked for by the Navy
Department.
The new authorization estimates reject
ed by the committee comprised the fol-
lowing: Two batteships. $19.WO.0OO; four
scout cruisers. S1O0OlUW: one ammuni-
| ton ship. $1.750.HO: one repair ship. S.
100000; two mine-laying ships (cruisers
to be Converted). $5O0.00O
Provision for Submarines.
The committee, however raised from
four to eight the number Of submarine
torpedo boats asked for; held over for
further consideration and incorporation
in special bill the matter of providing
fleet Golfers; appropriated 100000 for the
purchase, within the discretion of the Sec
rotary of the Navy. of three so-called
Subsurface torpedo boats, their acceptance
by the government to be contingent upon
the fulfllment of department require
ments. and included an appropriation OF
81 0OC.Oc0 to enable the recruiting OF 1900
additional enlisted men to man newly
completed battleships, and authorized the
recruiting of 1900 more. to become avail
able after July l. recommended by the
Secretary of the Navy and urged by the
President.
No provision was made for the building
of dry dock al Pearl Harbor. near Homo
lulu. The doubling of the department s
estimate of four submarine torpedo boats
needed was largely influenced by letters
of commerce. more than score of which
mittee.5
These boats, by the adoption of an amend
ment offered by Representative Louden
slayer of New Jersey. to be of the
Octopus type. in accordance with the re-
port of the Mark board, before whom
last years tests off Newport were made.
The effect of this amendment, if the
House and Senate concur in the commit
tees report, may be to nulify the court
decision by which the Secretary of the
Navy gained the right to consider the
Lake type OF boat as an after-competition
competitor.