The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-09
PERKINS WILL
LIKELY REPLY
Senators Resent the Attack of
Roosevelt Upon Their Cali
fornia Colleague.
WILL HEAD THE COMMITTEE
FACT WHICH ADDS INTEREST TO
THE ATTACK ON PERKINS.


attack which President Roosevelt has
/ made upon Senator Perkins. the senior
senator from California. for his atti-
| tude on the japanese agitation in his
state, friends of the Pacific coast sena-
! tor believe he viii defend himself on
I the floor of the senate. Senator Per-
kins consulted with several senators on
/ the subject today. 1t is urged that
while there may be q difference of opin-
iot. between the senator and his COL
| leagues as to the rights of state to
take certain action, regardless of trea-
ties entered into by the federal govern
ment, he viii receive strong support on
account of the disapproval among the
/ senators of sn attack upon one of their
number by the executive at this time.
Attack Unwarranted.
Senator Perkins claims that the eriti-
cism of his attitude on the naval pro-
gram is uuwarranted.
In 1898" he explains, 4 became a
member of the senate naval affairs COM
mittee. At that time We did not have
a single battleship I'm commission. and
very few first class cruisers. Today we
have twenty-seven battieships in COM
mission and five in course of construc-
ton, in add ton to the feet of first
class cruisers, torpedo boats and other
modern vessels of war.
THE appropriation of 1893 was only
$4,000 600 for the support and building
of the navy and everything else. The
naval bill now pending in the senate
carries more than $125.000.000
In 1893 we had but 1900 sailors and
marines. Today We have about 45 .00O
sailors and marines.
One Point of Difference.
4 have voted for every increase in
the naval appropriation Eat has come
before the committee, with the excep-
ton Of the last proposal to building
four battleships in one year. which ]
did not think expedient, believing it
the part of wisdom and wise business
policy to profit by OUT own experience
and the mistakes in naval construction
Of ether countries.
AS veriieation of whss 7y.I
would refer TO the Congre Tee
ord. which records every v5,s foo and
against any pending measures"
viii Become Chairman.
The fact that in the prospective re-
organization of the senate committees /
Senator Perkins of California will sue
coed Senator Hale of Maine as chair |
man of the committee on naval affairs |
has had the effect of adding to the I
interest felt in the presidents reference |
to the California senator as one who has \
hampered the growth of the navy. The |
subject was discussed today in both /
houses of congress, and it received spe- |
ciai attention from members of the /
California delegation
One of the California members. Rep |
resentative Knowland. freely expressed /
the opinion that Senator Perkins had /
not deserved the presidents censure. He /
said:
q have been inclined to uphold the !
president in his efforts to bring about /
an amicable settlement of the Japanese /
question. but [ certainly deploTe his at /
tack upon Senator Perkins. and I be- /
lieve this is practically the sentiment of /
the California delegation. As ranking /
member of the senate committee on ma /
val affairs no member in congress has /
been stronger or a more consistent |
friend of the navy than the senior SEN
ator from California.
A Friend of the Navy.
Instead of haanpering the develop
ment of the navy, he has rendered con-
spicuOus service in bringing it up to
its present high standard of efficiency.
Senator Perkins. together with the 9TH
err members of the California delega-
ton, has been urging for the last two
years the retention of a formidable
fleet in Pacific waters. IF a serious
has existed in our relations
with Japan, then it would appear to
have been criminal to take the entire
fleet from Pacific waters. The presi-
dent should be backed in his efforts
to settle the Japanese matter by diplo-
Continued on Page 7.