Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-05
Senator Ha|e's Views On
Naval Program,
He Has Been Senate's Naval
Expert for Years.
Maine Delegation Supporting Pres.
Taffs Legislative Policies.

''N''AiS WI, H. ~, MdTcH IL
(SpeciaD.-Senator Hale of Maine is
making ready to deal some heavy
blows for economy when the House
Naval bill reaches his end OF the
Capitol He is gathering lot of data
to bear out his contention that al
most but one new battleship should
be authorized on the current bill.
Whether Senators agree with him or
not in his contentious they always
await with keen interest the views
he advances about the navy.
Every year, when the Navy bill is
taken up in the Senate, Mr. Hale
makes plain his views about divers
naval policies. His appearance in this
role is always one of the speaking
events ot the session. From long cX-
perence and intimate knowledge of
navy matters, h. speaks with greater
authority than any other man i'm
either House of Congress. His inllu-
encc for u against a Navy provision
is commensurately wtighty. He has
srappicd these. navy problems with
Presidents, Secretaries of the Navy
ana Congresses for more than 80 years,
cooperating wherever plans met with
oIEi al Gnu IiuCJCllttttt anu IGttl
less enough TO refuse to cooperate
when he thought the plans unwse.
1t is this fearless and Independent
attitude that makes the advocates of
navy measures hold the Maine Sena-
tors opinions in especially important
regard. He does not hesitate to speak
right out in meeting. He never minccs
words as to his meaning. And when
any new plan is afoot the first question
generally asked is: What will Sena-
tor Hale thinl; of this?'
The Maine Senator, however. is
never Iactious in his opposition to new
navy schemes. He is one of the best
friends the Navy has at the Capitol
and does not scruple to vote money
and men, as far as he deems either
necessary to the upbuilding Of a navy
such as the United States really needs.
Those who want their plans to go
through. naturally like to picture the
Maine Senator as an opponent of the
Navy. but that is not the view enter
tanned by the Senate and the House
generally. There is a prevalent opin-
ion that he has done more than any
other man toward making the modern
navy WIdl IL anu tIIdl II NObit
generally have been better had his ad-
vice always been accepted.
The Senator's contention against the
building of numerous new dread
naughts is that a generous building
program is not necessary to an ade-
ouate naval defense of the United
States and that it is encumbent upon
Congress to figure the cost of the more
ambitious programs. Tho Navy now
costs over S130000,00 a year. But for
Senator Hale the annual cost would
now probably be nearer S150,000000 or
$175,000,0O 900. He recognizes that, at best
the country is rapidly approaching the
day when the Navy will cost s200.000,-
600 a year. or about three quarters of
million dollars for every week day. 1t
was not many years ago that pretty
good sized war could be maintained
for that amount of money
There are very many Representa-
tives in the House, who. are in
thorough accord with the Maine Sena-
tors views. but who do not care to
court unpopularity at home by taking
all open stand.
Now that William i. buchanan of
dcfunct Skowhegar Argus. is assured
of the Republican nomination for Con-
gress in the Fourteenth Massachusetts,
District. every man i'll the Bay state
delegation to Congress is, wondering
how the campaign will come out. The
Republicans - do MOI doubt that Mr..
Buchanan will he elected. The district
is very heavily Republican. IT gave
tie late Representative Lowering a.
0oo majority in 1908. Included in .hc
district are several Cape Cod counties
which are as oternIlly Republican as
the Granite Hills. The only two large
cities in the constituency are Brockton
and Taunton. both of them normally
Republican.
Consequently they are preparing to
welcome Mr.. Buchanan to the WASH
ing colony late in March--the election
occurs March 22--and to start nm
properly on his Congressional career
Their chief concern is. that his ma
,oritv is not materially reduced. If eX-
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Charles s. Hamlin of Boston, who has
been nominated by the Democrats de-
cides TO accept, there is feeling Tn AZ
he may swell the Democratic vote ma
terially and give the Democrats some
hope that they can carry Massachu-
sets next autumn.
The Maine men in Congress do not
expect to reach their homes thiS~Near
till we'll into June. The speculation
over the date of adjournment has al
ready begun and many different fore
casts are current No one expects
Congress to get away from Washing
ion before Nav IL and no one seems TO
expect that adjournment will be later
than July l.
IN any event the Maine men in the
House will be back home in ample
time to attend to their own campaigns
for reelection. They are staunchly
supporting President Taft in his lesls-
lative program and otherwise and Will
be ready to advance the interest III
the campaign with appeals to the vot-
ers to stand firmly by the President
in his efforts to give the country
sn,endid administration.
Senator Frye has been grinding
Slx.t I3arh0v