New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-28
MAY YET UPHOLD NAVY
House Democrats Are Now
"Hearing from Home"
PEOPLE WANT BATTLESHIPS
Public Sentiment So Firm That
1t May Result in Two New
Dreadnoughts.
From The Tribune Bureau. !

Washington, July N.-The row among
House Democrats caused by the refusal
OF the party caucus to authorize the ac-
ceptance Of Senate amendment to the
naval bill authorizing the construction
OF two new battelships reached an acute
stage to-day. when the little navy" ad-
vocates began to hear from home Rep
resentative Sulzer, who Is circulating q
petition for another caucus, declared pub
lie sentiment vas working to such an ex-
tent that the caucus probably will au-
thorfze two new battleships, when at one
time both the House and Senate would
have been satisfied with one Dreadnought.
Adding to Democratic woes. Mr.. sulIer.
who now qualities az an Insurgent OF the
first water. and who has been Joined by
more than score OF Democrats who will
not abide the caucus action. made public
a few OF the kilograms he had received.
One OF these liz particularly critical Of
Speaker Clark and Representative Fltz-
gerald. both Of whom voted TO table ali
motions TO have the caucus rescind It's
FORMER action against battleships. An
other. from ex-senator Towne, OF New
York, declared the Democratic party
would make a great blunder unless It au-
thorized a naval programme similar to
that Of recent years. Mr.. Tovne said, in
part:
want TO thank you for your activity
IN attempting TO save the Democratic
party N congress from the awful re-
sponsioility OF inviting party disaster,
which Is bad enough. but also the humiIl-
alton. which is infinitely worse. by falling
ships.
Recently numerous events have enpha-
sized the imperative Importance OF the
construction by us Of not less than two
great lighting ships a year. The naval
activity Of the European powers. and es-
peciaIly the far-seeing maritime policy
and accompanying prodigious battleship
programme on the part of japan, have
made II abundantly clear that II we re-
main supine and indifferent the enor-
nous and d!frcult world problems now
pending will be settled not only without
reference TO the will OF the United States,
but IN derogation OF our prestige and in
disregard OF our rights and interests.
Public sentiment on this question is be-
ginning 10 form and express itself. II
spoke loudly IN the Baltimore platform,
and the little navy plan is now officially
undemocratic and. as Il was before, obvi-
ously un-American.
The supremacy OF the Monroe Doctrine,
MIR. Towne continued, could not be main
talned without an adequate navy. He
aided:
I lay no claim TO prophetic vision, but
] tr mble when ! contemplate tho near
future and note the unpreCaredness or
this country. J am no mentor of the
Democratic party. but ] am Wellnlgh
dlsheartened to see II face the greatest
tutA xfyft 10
q proportion or It's leadership apparently
at once TO patriotic duty and
partisan advantage.
John y. Teal the Democratic national
from Oregon, telegraphed
that the party platform meant the main
tenance OF the navy and that Democrats
throughout the country had no sympathy
for the House action.
Fremont Cole, ex-Speaker OF the New
York Assembly, sent this telegram:
Keep up the fight for ut least two
ba ttleships Fitzgeraid's constituents Will
kill him, and Baltimore was wise To turn
down Little American Clark. Nine-tenths
OF the people are with you.
Congressional inquiry into the vulner-
ability Of the American battleship was
demanded IN the House to-day by Repre-
sentative Evans. an Illinois Democrat.
who offered a resolution calling for an
OF the report that six battle
ships OF the Atlantic feet during the war
IN Management Bay recently
we're Theoretically sunk BY submarines.
He insisted that such state OF affairs,
II permitted 20 exist, would be fatal In
time OF actual war
Mr.. Mann. leader OF the minority. OBJ
tected 10 Immediate considera ton OF the
resolution and IL went over