The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-04-28
WILL BUILD TWO
BIG BATTLESH|PS
Senate Is Fully Expected to
Sanction the Naval Pro-
gram.
PARTY LINES MAY BE SPLIT
p'an to Put Postotfice Employees on
Civil Service Basis Means
Great chanae-persistent
Rumors About Roose-
welt and 1912.


Rumors About Roose-
welt and 1912.
Washington. When the house of
representatives did the expected thing
and sanctioned the appropriation to
ouild two big battle ships during the
next fiscal year # put itself on rec
ora as being in favor of maintaining
lne present position of the United
states as naval power and on record
III measure as believing that this
country should surpass certain other
countries in naval strength.
II Is fully expected that the senate
VIII sanction the two.battleship propo-
sltlon, Notwithstanding that Senator
Hale, one of the most influential men,
Ders OF the upper house. probably will
oppose the increase. Senator Hale no
longer is chairman of the senate COM
mittee on naval affairs. for recently
ne was promoted to the Craftsmanship
vi the committee on appropriations
Inc change did not deprive him of a
seat In the naval affairs committee,
out 1t gave the craftsmanship to Sena-
tor Perkins of California. who. because
OF certain troubles which at one time
were threatening in the far east, has
undergone change of heart and now
Is one OF the strongest advocates of
upDu1lding navy which at one time
he thought needed little additional
strength
When the building para
graph in the naval iii passed the
mouse the party lines we're split, many
democrats voting for the appropria-
ton and some Republicans voting
against it. 1t is probable that the
same thing will happen in the senate
and that several of the seacoast state
Democrats will vote for the Taft recon-
mendation for two ships and the in
terror state Democrats will vote
against it,
Comparison Not Liked.
In the lower house one of the men,
bers in speaking of the proposed bat.
tleshlp increase made a comparison
between the strength of the United
States navy and that of Japan, a sort
OF comparison which some of the
members deprecated because recently
there has been a revival of the talk
That this country might possibly be-
come embroiled with Japan.
Representative Padgett, Democrat,
OF Tennessee, had this to say about
Japan and the United States in the
matter of naval strength:
Il want to call attention to another
fact. Speaking of big guns, the United
States has $50 of these big guns OF
the caliber of IL and Is inches Japan
has 1lS big guns of IL and IL inches.
Now as to the tonnage of the vessels.
! want to call your attention TO the
tonnage of the fighting ships-that is
OF the battleships and armored cruis-
ers-and ! shall first call your atten.
ton to the ships that are completed,
and afterward to the ships which are
completed and provided for.
"Of the number of battleships and
armored cruisers-that is the fighting
| implements of the navy-the United
States has A such vessels, with a ton.
mage of 592.69l. Japan has % such
vessels with tonnage of 2O9,255.
Taking the completed and provided
for vessels, the United States has As
such vessels, with an aggregate ton.
mage of 6SS,341 Japan has 30 such
vessels, with an aggregate tonnage OF
40S.406 tons
Sees Advantage Over Japan.
so that in every phase of the ques.
ton that looks to the fighting efIici.
ency In the guns and in the size OF
the ships-because we have two OF
10000 tons. and the largest that Japan
is building is $1,000 tons-so that in
any aspect of the case in which you
may consider 1t you can divide the
American fleet by two. and either half
OF it is larger and more efficient in
fighting capacity that the Japanese
navy"
The opponents of Mr.. Padgett S
views say that the United States must
have a much larger navy than Japan
If II intends adequately to protect the
Philippines and Hawaii The Philip
pines, 1t is said by the advocates OF
two ships, lie near the doorway OF
Japan, and If we should put feet OF
sufficient strength to meet Japan in
the far eastern waters we would OF
necessity leave our own coast lines
the Atlantic and Pacific-practically
unguarded, and II we got into trouble
with Japan there is no telling what
might happen, for Japan has some Eu'
ropean alliances which might give this
country cause for concern in case hos
tilities break out in the east. The ad'
ministration is bringing its influence
10 bear to receive the sanction OF the
senate for the two additional dread
naughts.