Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-31
MONEY FOR SIGNAL CORPS
House ApprOpriates $750,000 for
Experiments in Aerial Navigation.
SOME OPPOSITION TO MEASURE
All Points OF Order Made Against
IL Are OverruIed-Debate Con-
tinues Nearly All
Day.

WASHINGTON, Jan. S0.-By voting an
appropriation OF $4,000 the house OF, rep
reseutatiyes today made liberal provision
for further experiments by the army
of balloons and sirships for use in warfare.
The subject gave rise to a spirited debate,
which continued most of the session. The
opponents of the proposition tried to defeat
it by raising all sorts of parliamentary
points, but the chair overruled these and
paved the way for Incorporating the
provision in the army appropriation bill.
Previously to taking up the army bill
the consideration of which was not COM
pleted. the house passed a number of mis-
cellaneous bills.
At 4:46 p. m. the house adjourned until
tomorrow, when the body will meet in
special session to hear eulogies on the life
and character of Representative Powers OF
Maine. who died during the recess.
Debate on Army balloons.
Aeronautics occupied much attention in
the house of representatives today in con-
nection with the consideration of the army
appropriation bill. The advisabilty OF an
appropriation for army balloons was first
considered. 1t was raised by Mr.. Macon
(Ark.), who drew from Mr.. Hull I'm present.
ing the measure the statement that balloons
had not heretofore been specifically pro-
vided for and at once made a point of
order against the provision.
The burden OF the arguments in support
of the balloon provision was that balloons
had now become a part of an efficient
army, while some OF the opponents main
taned that balloons were not used in the
Russo Japanese war, the Spanish-Ameri-
can war and the Boer war. Mr.. Macon In
sisted that balloons has played no consider
able part in warfare. His statement was
controverted by Mr.. Cochran, who said that
a balloon performed a good part in the
war between France and Germany when
| M Gambetta escaped from Paris by such
means and organized the national defense.
Mr.. Mann of Illinois, in favorlng the
balloon provision, pointed 10 the sinking OF
the Republic and said that no one could
have cited ten days ago any case where
wireless telegraphy had saved hundreds OF
lives from shpwreck. 1.-THE time for citing
the case in reference to balloons" he said
'wln come after they have saved hundreds
OF millions OF dollars and maybe hundreds
Of thousands OF lives, and possibly . great
deal more"
Mr. Macon was at length induced tc
withdraw his point Of order on statement
by Mr.. Capron Of Rhode Island that bal
looms had been used with good results dur
ing the civil war. but its renewal by Mr.
sherley again clouded the situation.
sum Raised to Half Million.
In an elaborate opinion by Mr.. Perkins
who was In the chair, the point of order
was overruled and the work of experiment.
ing with balloons by the government ac.
cordingly will go on. After the ruling, Mr.
Hull of Iowa offered an amendment in.
creasing the appropriation from $4,000 tC
$4,000, which Mr.. Hull admitted, after
being subjected to rapid fire questioning
was largely to be used for experiment,
with and the development OF balloons anC
airships.
During the debate. Mr.. SIsyden Of Texs.
pointed to the achievements of the Wrigh
brothers in aerial navigation which, h,
said, had been so conspicuous that a for
eign government had already acquired
rights in their inventions He deemed {
OF the utmost Importance that the Amer
lean government should take the lead IL
military aeronautics.
BY a vote OF 75 to IS the amendmen
was adopted, the announcement beinl
greeted with applause. Except with re
spect 70 the appropriation for asronautica
experiment station the bill was no
amended in any important place. 1t stil
was pending when the house adjourned.