The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-02-19
IILLkAN DEFENDS
CHARLESTON YARD
SENATOR GROWS WARM IN DIS
CUSSING NAVAL STATION.
Declares Magazine Article About Es-
tablishment at South Carolina
Port Misleading.


and he continued his structures OF the
plan Of having many navy yards
along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts
instead Of three Of four great naval
bases. which. he insisted, was the
course that would be pursued by any
GREAT commercial and business man.
H. said millions of dollars are anual-
" wasted by the scattering OF the
work through many navy yards.
Senator Tillman taunted the sena-
tor from Montana with being "Sen-
ator from the Rocky mountains who
has come here to tell us how to build
a navv.' "It is," he continued,
Eseasier to sit on "a mountain peak out
in Idaho and read magazine critic
isns Of the navy than to run the
navy
He declared that a magazine artl-
Gle from which Mr.. Dixon read was
"full of lies" .
'|Whether or not it is full of Lies, !"
neplied Mr.. Dixon, "is just what l
am endeavoring ITO find out He re-
ferred to a statement in the magazine
to the effect that the improvement at
the Charleston, S. c., yard was ad-
vised against by the experts, but
when Mr.. Tillman said this was not
the case, he expressed himself as sat
isfied.
Mr.. Dixon insisted that the naval
committee of the senate was compos-
ed almost entirely Of senator's who
have navy yards in their respective
States. He wanted to know what
would be thought of having the COM
mittee on reclamation Of arid lands
composed of senators from the States
in which such lands are located.
Mr.. Hale replied that such was the
case, and Mr.. Tillman added that
similar condition exists in the Indian
and the public lands committees.
Mr.. Dixon was again reading from
the magazine from which he had
quoted when Senator Tillman inter
nupted to say that if he was "going
ITO bring undertaking into the senate "
the bill would be there long time.
eff this is the only undertaking
broueht into the senate it would in
terfere very little with the dispatch
of work. retorted Mr.. Dixon.
Charleston s Advantages.
Mr.. Tillman referred to the subject
Of the Charleston yard, on whose ad-
vantages he elaborated.
"You," he declared, pointing his
FINGER at Mr.. Dixon, "sinply are pre-
iudiced against the Southern yards
and YOU want to get that out of your
head"
Mr.. Dixon replied that he was
Southern man and had no such pre-
iudice, so far as he knew. Charles
ton might be the best place TOR
great naval station.
eff I am Mistaken Mr.. Tillman
replied, "then I beg the senator s
pardon. But there are some people
who think nothing is good If 1t Is IN
the South. The president himself rea-
Lies this condition and has in his
speeches appealed for a different
treatment for that section.
Mr.. Tillman declared that there
was sEcEque in the navy department
who wanted to break mp the Charles
ton navy yard"
II am not speaking in the interest
of any navy yard.' said Mr.. Dixon
<'I am only speaking IN favor OF con-
sohdation.'
*'If I stood indicted in this artl-
cle.' said Senator Dixon, referring TO
the magazine criticism, II would an
swer it. think that it is matter OF
self-respect that the senate and con-
ea,ess and tire administration should
answer these charges which are made
openly. The people Of the country be-
lieve these articles whether we do or
not.'
Senator McEnery, of Louisiana. de-
clared that hostility in the navy de-
partment against the navy yards OF
Louisiana prevented any ship from
going there for repairs. ''They alb
solutelv refuse" le said, "to make
improvements and repairs in tllat
ward and vet they send small boats
from the South Atlantic coast t"
Northern yards for repairs. y
There was, he said, usurpatlon OF
authority in the navy department. so