Bisbee daily review., 1912-01-07
(By Winfield Jon.es)

Special Correspondent of the Review
 WASHINGTON, Jan. 6:-Ome new battleship per annum hereafter is to be the naval policy Of the democratic house.
 The democrats propose to break away from the policy of President Roosevelt and President Taft. who have been firm in their recommenda- tons that this government shall ap- FrCpriate for two new dreadnaughts each year
 There are two reasons for this de- cision on the part Of those who will be responsible for the next naval ap- propriations bill In the. first place, the democrats base their policy on the term of an adequate navy.
 The majority of the democrats for several years past, have voted against two battleships as recommended by the house naval affairs committee Representative Padgett, of Tennessee, nov chairman Of the democratic com mittee. has always lead the fight for only one dreadnaught. He has be n
  republicans and a few on his party some of them who believe not only in two but in three battleships each year
 The rank and file Of the demo- crats, however, march under the one taftleshIp banner. 2 Representative Padgett, in his present position of authority, will share the naval bill in committee to conform to the demo cratic idea of retrenchment
 Revenue Badly Needed
 ln the second place, the democrats need the revenue.
 The looping off of one battleship per year means large annual savings. The dreadnaught of today costs. when completely fitted out, nearly $l200O,- GOO without is armament the newer type battleships cannot be built for less than S7.O00.0 900 and members of the naval affairs committee give as a total cost the conservative estim- ate of Sl1.O0O,O0O to Sl2.00O 900.
 There is in addition cumulated cost of maintaining a battieship that will go to the right side of the demo cratic ledger. The average yearly cost of operating a first class dread naught win total at least S750,00o It cost nearly a million dollars per year to keep the Connecticut afloat. This annual cost embraces the salaries of officers and men, the food supply, the repair bills, as well as ammunition and the wear and tear to the big guns.
 In line with the democratic reason ing. the government will save not on- ly the first cost Of the vessel but In cle Sam may put in his pockets each year nearly a million dollars that would have been required had an ad- ditional battleship been ordered.
 Opposition Is Certain
 Of course, the democratic r-ogram is bound to meet with bitter opposi- ton not only in the house and senate but perhaps on the part of the admin istratiOn itself For many years the United States has been committed 10 a larger navy. Two battleships per annum have been appropriated for with great regularity President Roosevelt was in favor Of at least this number and would have increased it had he received any encouragement from congress.
 The two-battleship program has been supported in a fairly consistent manner by the republican party. The regular increase has annually gone through the senate almost without a struggle. and the fight in the house has always been won overwhelming by those who favored a big navy.
 The question of the naval increase, however. has not been divided strict ly along partisan lines. Representa- tive Hobson. a democrat. is at notor- ious variance with the majority of his party over it's naval policy. Mir. Hob son each year makes a futile effort to secure the authorization for three battleshirs. or four as the case may be. He is a member of the naval af- fairs committee of the house and one of the liveliest fights in the history of that committee will occur when MT. HobsOn runs Ip against the one battleship propaganda of Representa- tive Padgett and his colleague on the committee who decline to become aroused over the probability of war.
 United States Third
 The United States now ranks third among the naval powers of the world.