The Washington times., 1909-01-22
Representatives IaWney and
Bartholdt Oppose Ne. E
BattleShips.
HEPBURN DEFENDS
CALL FOR VESSELS
Says America Is a Warlike Nation
and Should Be Pre-
pared.

That the House views with extreme
/ disfavor the proposition TO build two
new battleships at cost not exceeding
[ &bley9,e9 each. was evidenced early IN
/ the debate today on that section OF the
naval appropriation bin which makes
/ such provision.
lively attack on the proposition 10
/ Increase the navy by the addition OF
I two hrst-class battieships opened the
I proceedings I'm the House today. The
( house was sitting as a Committee on
the Whole House On the State Of the
/ Union. Representative Finley or South
Carolina moved to strike from the naval
appropriation bin the section providing
for the battlezhips.
Representative aBTtholdt Of Missouri
who is one of the great lights in the
interparliameutary peace union. could
see no good reason for booming the
navy at this juncture
Should Reduce Armament
"Ir ever there was q tine 10 reduce
military armameut5 one is at hand
now he declared. "Our expenditures
exceed Cur revenues. We have no moral
right to plunge the Government into
debt to increase the implements Of war.
the peaceful development os the coun-
Try. The Oft-rep6ated claims that 8
big navy Is guarantee OF peace are
false and orr history proves H.
Then he went on 20 say LhaJ he
United States had plenty OF peace when
IL had practically no navy. me Dess
assurance Of peace, he salds was our
love of peace and justice, our stout
hearts and love or liberty.
Representative Wa|SO Of E6w York
took the opposite yle
''WAeU we STOP this program & naval
Ifafed on Wnlcn nave -aEdif
started he said. "tle navy win be
gin TO decay III We want 10 pE0tecl
our citizens abroad ana 70 have this
country respected as Cue Of the greatest
powers of the world, we must have an
adequate navy
Increase Mere Pretense.
Representative Hardy of Texas de-
Hounced the claim that the Increase in
the navy was in the interest OF peace.
1T was mere preteuse, he said, When
d nation armed. he declared. It armed
for war. All through the ages the false
argument had been made that the
maintenance of war esta bIishmeuts was
in the interests Ci peace. In Texas IL
was formerly the custom Of all the Ilfr
TO carry arms When they were lis
armed substantial peace resulted.
To the surprise or many members.
Representative IaWUeEs then OppoEzt
was 81 waste of money, he said, to graft
tE an ambition TO excel all uavies IN
ship building
Tired Of War Talk
we hear OF threatened war with
Japan he said, 'I am getting tired
of this annual talk Of war with Bapau
THAI occurs simultaneously with tie
consideration of the naval appropriation
biH- AT all other time iu the year We
are told Of our peaceful relations with
Japan. But when the question Of in
CTeaSlug the navy comes no, the news
Iapers burst with report that var i~
threatened aga iH-
'I talked II few DAYS ago with a Gov
eminent official who has been iu Japan
lie told me rlaJ there Is no more LanEeJ
6i war with Japan than with Grest
Britain. Japan could not go 10 Wa-
The people are taxed 10 the limit and
could not stand the additional burde-
of single farrLiuE IT japan had iue
money she WoUId not undertake To sena
q fleet and army 4llo miles to San
Francisco To do that she would re
glEe 1aSe ll the baclH.- There is no
such base but Hawaii. When we forUts
Hawaii II VIII be as lmuregnabi6 ss
Gibraltar $50 h4tlfeshiu could steam
from Japan To- California and back
without e9aIiuE- a GeeL could NOT mus
ter CoIGeTs % supply it with ciaI.-
IaWnev also said that the ships
should not De built because there wII
's deficit of Sl-5s se0lG G11 iu the Treas
nay this year.
Sees Warlike Nation.
Colonel Hepburn denounced as III.
iat and dl5Louoraule reason for no.
building Of the batteships, Tawuey's
statement that ii was due TO an am
biticn TO excel other countries In ship
building.
The. Americans are a. varIike people.
ne declared Every generation has ha-
iiS war ana every future generate
VIII have.
I'VE say we are q Christian people
aud IU l>.> We would war al each cas-
Her We're not prepared
Hepburn wanted the country armed .r
protect itself il il was t0 be attack
ed, he desired the sssailaut 20 lznur
that there was peril i'm the assault
Hepburn said this country once deuaa
Great Britain and then prepared for tla
Icu guuaoats, each armed with a sWiEE.
gun. When .he gun on "a test boat wa-
fired the boat was caDslzeu. He Guper
this country would not again issue
declaration of war. but me insisted It
should be prepared Tor any emergency.
Every man knows continued Mr..
Hepburn, THAT III an insult comes 70
Will be either TepzratlOn or war The
spirit and blood of young America would
fJrce this Government into hostiljties
What cause had we for the war of 1880,
except that OF sentiment. when we saw
another nation trampled upon by tyr
auuy2
Mr.. Hepburn recalled that some Of
To Whom Should She Cling?