Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-28
Popular Opinion Too Strong
for House to Ignore.
WOUl DN'T VIOLATE CAUCUS
Pact Binding Only in Matters Per
tanning to Lower Branch.
CONSTITUENTS GETTING BUSY
Threatening kilograms Pour in De-
manding That Members Vote
for More Battleshipe

AOi AxAO1C AS0lS4OSAAPos
Confident that the rising tide OF popular
opinion throughout the country will force
the House of Representatives to adopt
the Senate schedule OF two new battle
ships for this years naval appropriation
bill. the battleship democrats who have
been mighty active in stirring up this
same public opinion are almost on the
verge of predicting that the House will
accept the two-ba.tleship program. Fur
thermore the battleship democrats are
doing everything they can to put the
anti-battleship democrats in the in bad
list. They made the prediction yesterday
that there would be at least one new
floating fortress added this year. and
that the real fight on the naval budget
would not be whether Uncle Sam
should have battleships or not-that Ques-
ton IS settled in the affirmative, they
claim. The big fight viii be on how many
ships of the heavy death-dealing class
shall be added this year.
The scheme by which the battleship
democrats are endeavoring to force
capitulation on the part of the oid-Nne
regulars and the rest who are AFRAID this
Congress will be an expensive one alter
all is clever ard interesting. The DEM
ocratS agreed in caucus at the beginning
OF the session not to add the usual num-
Der OF SHIPS to the navy, and they prom
ised that If such a program was carried
out no pork barrel bill would be In
troduced. A pork barrel, be II under
stood. Is the Dig, numbering. overladen
pubic buildings bill, which spends many
millions of dol airs and usually drops
few thousand dollars In the shape OF
public build ms in everybody's congress
,lrsr nd
thing for Individual members OF Congress.
Along came the naval Appropriation bill
will. It's Wanted economies and Jack or
batti-ships, while the other navies OF
added from one to five ships Of the lat
est. fastest, deadliest type. The House
passed that shipless bill. That was In
accordance with the caucus. Then the
tleships.
May Decide Thursday.
Now it has gone back to the House.
and Representative Sulzer. who has stood
out consistently for proper navy from
start TO Finish. carried on his battleship
work by suggesting that the democrats
retreat from their original no battleship
policy. His motion was tabled.
Thereupon the battleship democrats got
to work 10 marshal Their forces. They
days and they vii. be just active be-
tween now and Thursday. when. 1t is
understood the naval bill will again show
its head In the House. No new caucus
are that the petition which Representa-
tive Curley OF Massachusetts, has been
circulating among the democrats viii
contain the pledges of a sufficient num-
Der of democrats to assure the addition
OF at least one big ship.
But that will be a violation OF the
democratic promise In the party caucus,
says some one.
The answer made by Representative
Sulzer TO that was this:
1.-THE caucus is binding only as to mat
tiers of the House of Representatives..
a caucus does not bind us on Senate mat
tiers The House followed the caucus
rule In the first instance. and no bait e
ships were written into the nava! appro-
priation bill, but the Senate adced Two.
and nov our vote will be on the Senate
bill. Parliamentarians and House leaders
have ruled on that point consistently for
years. There is no getting away from
it,
Then you think 1t will not be a viola
ton Of the caucus to yotS for battle
ships
Il do not think i'll assert it,
Expect Republican Aid.
The c.everness OF their policy lies in
not dSNAlS lOT q nc" SdASGbs 4ACy O.
relying on the folks back home. many
OF whom are sending kilograms to their
representatives TO vote for the big ships.
Don't expect reelection II you vote
arainst battleshirs" is the message one
representative from the middle west got
Yes terday.
The republicans are expected TO vote
with the battleship democrats. It is I'm
derstood there are few insurgents from
~ pr..Ty yx-h n "a
preston they are ignorant Of the coun-
try's coast line and would vote against
any naval item II given a chance, but the
imp esson Is the republicans Will vote
with Sulzer and Curiey. The republicans.
by the way are licked to see the row
on the democratic side.
Meantime some OF those who shr.eked
with pain when they had to sacrifice pet
are going around telling every one how
they have been treated outrageousiy.
They give the impression that some one
has knitted them in the dark AS a result.
there We're mysterious rumors around the
rooms OF the committee on public build
ings and grounds yesterday to the effect
that this pork barrel could be rolled over
10 the House within three days and
would be reported out with spite and
rap.dity In case the battieshlp projects
had their way.
That's a bluff" said the battleship
democrats when asked about it. THE
public buildings bin s still bound by eau
Gus rules. IL cannot come out OF COM
mtttee-"
Ali the same $500 data on the pork bar
rel bill IS prepared and ready.
Other Fights Scheduled.
The battIeship fight isn't the only fight
scheduled. a three-cornered row Is prom
!sed over the section which gives the
nited States the power to build the bat
,leships IN a navy yard. Brooklyn has
the only yard capable OF such task.
Representative Moore of Pennsylvania IS
going TO start a little trouble on this
score. He believes that If the United
States IS going TO be SO foolish as TO
build it's own ships, X ought to equip
al us Yards SO that all OF them have an
equal chance. Then. too, there are some
big private ship yards scattered around,
mem hers of Congress from those