Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-04-11
He Contends that Pay of Officers and
Men Should Be Raised.
PADGETT DEFENDS COMMITTEE
Bill is Drawn Along Conservative
Lines Despite lingo Clamor.
WAR TALK FROM LOUISIANA
Mr.. FRvrot Says HostiIi1ics Arc
Likely at Any Time aud the
Nation should he Well
Prepared.


stead Of interminable roll calls and clashes
Of psrty leaders on questions OF parlia-
mentary rules there was an orderly session
devoted almost entirely to tn consideration
Of tn naval appropriation bill Both Chair
man Foss of Illinois and Mr. Padgett OF
Tennessee of the committee on naval az
fairs made exhaustive speeches justify
ing the action of the committee in report.
ing what they characterized as conserva-
tive naval program for the next fiscal year
Consideration of the naval bill had not
been concluded when the house. at 5
o'clock recessed until 1880 tomorrow.
FOss Explains Bill.
Chairman Foss of the committee on naval
affairs explained the details of the bill
the main features of which have been pub
llshed
Mr.. Foss corrected the committee report
embodying the naval probram of England
Instead of estimating for two battleships
four armored cruisers. one large ocean GO
ing destroyer and some ocean going de-
stroyers, England had provided he said
for one batteship one large armored
cruiser, one large rmored wa EAToou
cruiser, eight fast protected cruisers and
sixteen torpedo boat destroyers.
III Nii1 bplllOu ol MI fOSS ndSeu on IN
formation from the navy department. there
were today in the service a better class of
men than ever before. Desertions. he said
were growing fewer every year. AS regards
aliens in the service, he said the number
was decreasing each year.
The Workmanship OF the men. Mr. Foss
declared. had constantly improved, and re-
ferrng TO the recent target practice OF tho
4.
that If he were to divulge tho confidential
reports the records would be shown TO he
better than those of any navy in the world
Mr.. Foss dwelt at length upon the subject
of the pay of the officers and men and
said II should be increased
Billion and Quarter.
The now navy. which dates frcm the
Spanish war, he said had cost to- date
! H.2H65lOo0, of which s9oaOOO 900 had gone
| into ships while the balance had gone
to the maintenance of the naval establish
mene
Mr.. Foss referring to the recent congress
sional hearings regarding criticisms of
American battleship construction declared
that the conclusion had been reached that
American warships had been honestly and
properly constructed and compared favor
apig WIN NtooViS VI lbIFlSn powers tie
paid flattering tribute to Rear Admiral
Converse and characterized him as our
greatest living naval authority"
PRdRett Defends Committee.
Defending the naval committee against
criticisms which he said had been heaped
upon it because it had not authorized
larger naval program, Mr. Padgett, Of
Tennessee, declared the committee had
t,lr,
believed the committees act had been con.
servative. He could not, he satd sub.
scribe to the principle that because the
country was rich its wealth should be ex-
pended simply for the sake of keeping men
employed. That was a doctrine of pa
ternallsm which he did not believe congress
was prepared to adopt He charged this
newspapers with having been industrious
in endeavoring to mould public sentiment
to get behind the committee and the coun-
try to urge us beyond conservative
action"
Coming to the question OF a possible
war with Japan, Mr.. Padgett declared that
1t would soon become frazzled and the
sgitators would switch off to something
else.
War Talk from Louisiana.
Economy in naval construction was viEor-
ously opposed by Mr.. Favr,t OF Louisiana
The United States, he declared had obliga.
tons in various parts Of the world which
1t could not repudiate. War was likely to
be forced on the United States at any time
and the naval strength of the country
should be sufficient to guarantee the full
est protection.
Mr.. Bartholdt of Missouri opposed any
enlargement of the naval program He be-
lieved in the paceful adjudication by arb-
tratlon OF ali questions OF dispute, he said.
The Administrations program for four
batt1eships was supported by Mr.. McKKin-
ley Of California, lie called attention to
the steady expansion of American trade
beyond the Pacific coast and said strong
navy was needed to give protection to
Americans abroad and to American ship
pers OF goods in American bottoms. His
colleague, Mr. Knowland' expressed similar
views.
The bill was still under consideration
when the house at o'clock took a recess
until tomorrow.