Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-01-07

president and asked him to go over
the records and to study them as
Judge and then to make known his
decision. The president acceded to
Mr.. Ballinger's request and went over
all the papers in the case and then,
not satisfied to give his own judg-
ment on the matter without having it
either strengthened or weakened by
the opinion of another, he gave the
papers to his attorney general Mr..
Wickersham, who likewise went over
them and then made report to Mr..
Taft.
When the president had completed
his work of scrutiny and study Of the
legal points involved he gave his Sec
retary of the interior a clean bill of
moral health and thus with the back
ing of the administration, made plain
in written form, the secretary can go
before the congressional investigating
committee and say, mo less lawyer
than William Howard Taft has passed
upon my case and has declared me
innocent"
Ballinger's Skirts Clean.
Now, as far as the secretary of the
interior is concerned. no one as yet
has charged that he has done any
thing that could be called corrupt.
The charges against him principally
have been to the effect that he pre-
ferred to have free hand given to
corporations in the requirement OF
water power sites and that the people
should get their benefits from the
service which the corporations gave
them. In other words, the charge
has been that Ballinger Is one Of the
old-time conservatives who cannot
see that there is anything wrong in
the concentration of commercial
power in the hands of few.
This is the main charge of which
he will try to clear himself, but even
| IL he does not succeed in entirely
clearing himself the investigating
committee cannot take cognizance of
mans views of economics.
Divide Over Warship Question.
The house committee on naval af-
fairs, of which Representative George
E. Foss of Illinois is the chair
man, is holding daily meetings in
an attempt to report to the floor
of the house early it's recommends
tions for increasing the battle
ship force and for the maintenance of
the navy upon at least its present
plane of efficiency.
| Nearly all the Democrats in the
house are opposed to the great battle
ship-building program. The Demo-
Gratis in the main hold that the United
States has a navy at present sufficient
ly large to keep up it's dignity as a
nation. There are some few Demo
Gratis, however. who are ardent sup
ports of the plan to increase the navy
little by little until it is large enough
to make certain that this country can
defend the Philippines, Hawaii and
the two main coast lines of the United
States.
Probable Naval Construction.
In all probability two great war
ships and one repair vessel will be au-
thorized for construction at this ses-
sion of congress. 1t is thought by the
naval experts that if two great fight,
ing machines be added to the battle
ship fleet yearly the navy will be kept
upon the plane of efficiency where il
now stands, that there will be nc
weakening strength and yet no such
addition OF fighting power as to make
either the people of this country or
of the world at large think that the
United States is bent on conquest
&c
that two new ships a year will just
about keep up the navy's strength
Vessels of the type of the Oregon
which made the famous rapid tran
Sit around Cape Horn just before the
{ opening of the Spanish war, are nov
on what may be called the retired
list, although the old ship is still fl
for some hard service.
Committee to Be Opposed.
There will be great deal of oppo
, sition both from Democrats and Re
r publicans to the program of the nava
, committee which contemplates tn,
, construction of two battleships. Their,
3 are Republicans who think that thu
r money which is spent to build Dread
r noughts ought to be spent to put III
{ public buildings throughout the coun
e try, or for the Improvement of river
!. and harbors. Then there is smal
n group of members in the house, wit
: still smaller group in the senate
/. who think that the United State
d ought to lead the way in preparation
@ for permanent peace, and should lie
t warlike demonstrations go by tn
e board.
# Representative Richard Bartholdt c
e st. Louis is one of the most ardent c
= the advocates of peace among the nj
Il tions that the louse contains. H
r frequently makes speeches on behaI
/. of peace and he is consistent oppC
It nent of any appropriations which ar
It intended to increase, beyond what h
n thinks is a simple defensive limit, th
d navy of the United States.
0. President Taft wants two battl
ships built this year, and the nav'
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