Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-05-06
NAVAL APPROPRIATION
QUESTION OF ENLARGEMENT OF NAVY
CREATES STIRRING DEBATE in
THE SENATE.

Mr.. Stillman Describes Fight Uver naval
Appropriation Bill. Led by Senator Beve.
ridge Who Was Completely Skinned
by the Opposition.
Washington. d. O.. May Especial
Correspondence: The debate on the |
Naval appropriation bill in the
Senate. Monday, may be set down as
one of the red-letter days of the ses-
sion: indeed the entire debate on this
hill v as of the red-let variety.
The daily rapers have long since
told the story of the debate but there
are some facts and deductions touch
ing the affair that perhaps have not
been made public in Iowa
OF course the controversy was all
over the question Of two or four bat
tleships While the overwhelming
vote against four ships represented the
sentiment Of the Senate, because the
Senate could obtain no facts justify
ing the sudden doubling Of the pro-
gram. the vote was also intended, it
is said. as a rebuke to Senator Beve-
ridge and a significant suggestion to
the President.
The attitude and remarks of Beve-
ridge justified the conclusion that he
was the spokesman and mouthpiece
for the President. With great impres.
siveness Beveridge, in the course OF
lis opening remarks. declared, mea-
fsu-ing each word, in substance. that
III the facts could be made known and
'the,rnetter discussed in secret session,
there would be few votes against four
battieshirs.
It was this statement which caused
thettTouble. Bus one inference could
be drawn from the statement, to-wit :
TIsss the President had information
Of &qaisquieting nature, which impei-
led ntan to plead with all his power
for a doubling of the navas program,
a1d' 'Shat he had communicated this
infernation to Beveridge and nobody
else Members OF ste Foreign Rela
ts3hnx committee dsciared with great
vfgor SSkat the sky was perfectly clear
and chat the comm ittee was without
sLeh information.
If the President mad information
indicating impending trcuble which
SustSa;oS, tbo iucra~ ca cF <l,e naval pro
gram Ersm two to four battleships, i,
is pointed out that he should have
called Senate and House leaders anC
frankly stated tlse facts. Had this
been done and it appeared that the
Presidents fears were based CpoI
substantial grounds, there would
have been no trouble in getting foul
battlesiips or ten battieships. for that
matter ETerybo ly knows this.
But the leaders had no information
,Rnd the foreign relations committee
G,sd no information and all the infor.
.naation that scame to the Senate was
that mentioned by Beveridge. The
Senate bv Its action and vote resented
the apparently self-assumed leader
ship of Beveridge.
LATER Beyeridge tried to modify his
startling statement by declaring that
be did not believe there would be any
war and that he believed that peace
would continue. This did not help
matters any; the mischief had been
done ; the spectre Gf probable war had
been raised and psraded and the later
talk Of Beveridge merely made it ap-
pear that the spectre was a mere straw
man Of no substance, and, as was re-
said, existed only in the i'm
agination of the Senator from Indiana
III the President made confidant of
dge. which is doubtful, then
;he President chose senator i'll quail
led to engineer any measure through
hat body. Mr.. Beveridge is bright
nan but he has some ways and man.
lerisms that are disagreesble and very
to the Senate and senators
Vill not stand for It, Thev did stand |
t long time but finally they decided |
O tnrn in and give the young Indian
an some of his own medicine and
hey did Saturday and Monday. Dur
ng the time l have watched the
perations of the Senate dailv have
ever seen n, senator sos completely
kinned. kicked about the chamber
nd then thrown out the back door, as
everidge was Monday. And he
rought it all on himself ANY Sena-
,r who is courteous gets courteous
in return.
Senator Beveridge is intolersnt,
and at times really In.
llting. When he has the floor he
ants his own time and is not always
'urteous in yielding for questions OF
'marks. When others have the floor
lere is no senator so prone to inter-
ipt and use mp time as Beveridge
40 / ~