Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-04-16
PRESIDENT URGES UPON CON
oREss HIS PLAN FOR FOUR
MORE 1ATTLEsHIPs.
the NATION MUST Be READY
Reading Of Document Delayed In
House and Only SKINNED
Through In the Senate by
the Secretary.

TOT an appropriation lot LOuT new udC
tleships, concerning which there has
been so much speculation was re
ceived Tuesday by both houses Of con
gress.
There was considerable delay in the
reading Of the message in both the
senate and the house, In the senate
because Senator Foraker was engaged
In making his Brownsville speech
when the document was received, ant
in the house because that body wat
In committee Of the whole on the
naval appropriation bill.
That the message was designed Il
influence the house to increase the
number Of battleships provided for II
the naval bill from two to four was
generally understood and the dispatch
of the message was intended to be sc
timed as to reach the house just be
fore the taking up of that provision.
The debate on the naval appropri
alton bill was on when the message
arrived, and 1t quickly became noised
about that the anticipated document
had reached the house. All sorts OF
questions were asked of the floor lead
ers as to when the'reading of the mes
sage would begin, but Typographical
error In the print of the message waA
seized upon by those opposed to the
four battleships plan to delay the read
ing in the hope that the provision re
lating to the battleships would be first
reached and thereby discount any e.
feet the message might have in
bringing members over to the presi
dents view. It looked at one time as
IL 1t would be necessary to return the
message to the president SO that hi
might make the necessary correction
and when this was avoided, further
delay was caused by the necessity OF
a change which would transform the
committee of the whole into the house
proper and then return to the commit.
tees method Of proceeding. Conse-
quently the bill was not laid before
the house until just before the close
Of the days work.
The message was read in the senate
under a disadvantage. 1t was present.
ed Immediately after the conclusion
Of Senator Foraker's speech and while
Vice-President Fairbanks was engaged
In an attempt to restore order. There
was a loud hum of voices and the
exodus Of the throng from the gal.
leries added to the noise to such an
extent that It was quite difficult to
hear the reading Of the message. The
secretary Of the senate came to the
rescue of the situation by skimming
through the document in short order
and motion to adjourn ended the
dilemma. Senators and members were
supplied with copies Of the message
and many read 1t with avidity.
The arguments Of the president to
impress his insistence on this naval
program were few, but calculated to be
effective. China was held up as an
example of the peace at any price"
doctrine, and Great Britain, as having
the naval policy to be emulated.
The result Of the last The Hague
conference made It plain that the ma
tons would not for some time, II ever,
agree on a plan Of limitation of naval
armament. Arbitration, the president
holds, cannot be relied upon as an ef-
fectlve remedy, though 1t should be
utilized to its fullest extent.
Disclaiming any intention on the
part OF the United States ever to en-
gage in a war Of conquest, the presi-
dent made 1t plain that this country
could ill-aftord to relax into a place
where insult would have to be borne In
silence.
In summing up his argument the
president concluded his message as
follows:
II cannot recommend to your notice
measures for the fulfillment of our du-
ties to the rest OF the world without
again pressing upon you the necessity
Of placing ourselves In q condition Of
complete defense and Of exacting from
them the fulhllment Of their duties to-
ward US.
"The United States ought NOT to in.
dulge in q persuasion that, contrary
to the order Of human events, they
viii forever keep at distance those
painful appeals to arms with which the
history Of every other nation abounds.
There Is q rank due to the United
States among nations which win be
withheld II not absolutely lost by the
reputation Of weakness II We desire
to avoid insult, we must be able to
repel It; II we desire to secure peace,
one Of the most powerful instruments
OF our rising prosperity. It must be
known that We are at all times ready
for war"