The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-27
Monday, April -, iD0s.
THE BATTLEsHIp DEBATE.

THE BATrLESHIP DEBATE.
To-day will determine definitely
whether the senate will agree to Pres /
ident Roosevelt's demand for four in |
stead of two battleshps to be author
ICED in the pending appropriation bill. |
At the session of the senate on Sat |
urday the proposed increase in the /
number of ships was defeated by
viva voce vote, but upon Senator
Piles insistence that the vote should
not have been taken in his absence II
was agreed to reconsider the action
taken and dispose of the matter at the
session to be held to-day,
No debate in either house of CON
gress has provoked the interest this
one has Additional color has been
given to 1t by The aggressive attitude
of the president, who has left no
stone unturned nor spared any effort
which was calculated to stiffen the
backs of his supporters. The country
has been kept fully informed of the
position of the administration. Con
gress has received more than one ex-
ecutive message upon the subject,
speeches have been made by the rep
resentatives of the administration and
the newspapers, which echo the wish
es of that administration, have repeat
ed the arguments and piled up the
petitioning pleas for assistance. 1t
has been drummed into the ears of
the country that peace can best be had
and enjoyed through the possession
OF the instruments which make war
dangerous to engage In. 1t has been
solemnly declared that the Monroe
doctrine will be endangered unless a
navy powerful enough to insist upon
its terms is built, though It was
brought out In the debate in the SEN
ate Saturday that the Monroe doctrine
had been successfully defended when the
United States had no navy. This and
O. great deal more has been said and
declared in a spirit more marked for
it's enthusiasm than It's conviction.
People, who are ready at all times to
come to the defense of the country
both with their right arms and their
fortunes, have been forced to ask
themselves what the reasons are
which suddenly place upon the United
States the expensive task of consider
ably increasing the navy when, ac-
cordlng to the best reports, not a
war cloud lie to be found in the heav-
ems? 1t is curiosity, not apprehension,
which provokes this inquiry, and 1t is
a curiosity which Is likely best to be
satisfied by an adverse vote to-day,
on the theory expressed by Senator
Aldrich that If the price of peace is
two more battleships than the admin
istration asks for 1t is doubtful IL the
terms are either fair or reassuring.
The mischievous feature Of this de-
bate Is the entirely unwarranted feel
ing of uneasness 1t has encouraged
with regard to the possibility Of war
with some foreign foe. President
Roosevelt Is an enthusiastic advocate
of O larger navy and It Is we'll under
stood that in all strenuous undertake
ings he is extreme In his Views, but
even SO 1t is yet to be demonstrated
that he is better qualified to Judge
or that he is more of an intelligent
patriot than the senate of the United
States He is distinctly unfortunate
in the men on the floor of that body
who voice his views, In Senator
Beveridge he has an eloquent repre-.
sentative but not one whose judgment
has commended itself to the people Of
the country, who prefer sobrety o.
wisdom to brilliancy. Senator Lodge
of Massachusetts,, a warm persona
friend of President Roosevelt, who II
willing to vote for the four battleship'
to crafty his friend has found /
necessary to condemn the war tall
that has accompanied the discussion
of the number of ships to be built. Al
idea of the temper of the controversy
which is not apt to be less spirited to
day, is gained from the suggestiv
remark Of Senator Aldrich, which wa
approved by Senator Hale of Maine
that he recognized the right Of tn
president to have opinions in regar'
to batteships and to send message
on the subject but that senators rep
resented sovereign states and had res
possibilities of their own. In con
clusion, he said he objected to tn
proposed increase in the number o