The San Francisco call., 1910-05-24
TWO Big Ships
PROVIDED FOR
IN naval BILL
Amendment Asking for Only One
Sea Fighter Defeated, and
Lesser Boats Added
Senator Depew, Reminiscent,
Gives Untold History of
Two Great Crises

WASHINGTON. May 29.-Voting
down. IS 10 80. an amendment offered
by Burton to authorize only one new
battleship instead OF two, the senate
today passed the naval appropriation
bill The bin carries an appropriation
Of almost s134,00O,00o. II was before
the senate for two days. the debate
being confined almost exclusively to
the battleship question.
Two important amendments were
adopted today. One of them, offered
by Senator Johnston, appropriates
Sz50.000 for the purchase of torpedo
boats whose vitals are below the nor
NAL load line" The other by Senator
Jones eliminates railroad, county and
municipal bonds from securities that
may be deposited by contractors.
The naval increase for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1911. provided by
The bin is as follows:
COST OF BAT'TLESHIPS
Two first class battIeships to cost
not exceeding S6,0OO.000 each, and when
equipped with armOr and armament
about Sl2.50O. 600 each.
Two feet cOlliers TO cost not exceed
Ing Sl0o0,0O0 each.
Five submarine torpedo boats not
exceeding a total Of S2.50o,0O0
six torpedo boat destroyers to cost
not exceeding S750,00O- The house bill
provided only four submarines and no
torpedo boat destroyers
The senate also adopted a resolution
that not more than one of the battle
ships should be built by the same COM
pany-
The provision inserted in the house
requiring that the battleships and
fleet coIliers should be built under the
eight hour law was retained by the
senate.
ENLIGHTENED BY DEPEW
The closing hour Of the debate
served TO elicit two important histor-
Ical revelations by Senator Depew
which We're given from his own store
OF Information. One of them bore on
the war with Spain. The statement
regarding the Spanish war was eIicited
by an assertion by Senator Hepburn
that the people themselves did not
want war, but generally were COM
PEELED by their rulers to submit to
their will
Taking issue with the Idaho sena
tor. Depew said chat popular demand
. had forced the war with Spain on the
Z country, and that President Mckinley
!. had been opposed TO it He said, also,
. that terms as favorable could have
been obtained from Spain without q
conflict as with war
Does not the senator believe that
but for the pressure Of that time the
president would have negotiated Spain
OF the American continent asked
Hale.
Il do responded the New York SEN
ator- i know OF my own knowledge
: that Spain was prepared TO abandon
cuba and Porto Rico TO prevent humil-
iatiOn If she could be assured in ad-
vance Of the acceptance Of the propo-
sition-"
He said President Mckinley had not
been strong enough personality to
resist the popular will
Depew also related some history con-
cerning the Venezuelan episode of the
Cleveland second administration.
An intimate friend of mine who also
was an intimate friend Of Lord Sails
bury, then the British prime minister, /"
he said. told me when the president s
message was promulgated Lord Sails
bury said TO him, I believe because of
the rancOr coming down from the rev.
olutionary war and accentuated by GER
tain occurrences in the civil war Amer
lea. means to have war with Great
is the best time. when America has no
navy
The view Of the prime minister was
overruled by Queen Victoria, but if
Lord Salisbury had had the power pos
sessed by some Of the English prime
ministers the issue certainly would
have been tried out"
Depew used the last incident to en-
force an argument in favor of a strong
er navy and the authorization Of the
battleships Of the Dreadnought type.