Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-24

gesional exodus. There is not as
much official surcease. The demnition
grind of real service prevails. Sena-
tors and Representatives are not has
tening home at this stage. What would
be the use? To Pennsylvania or New
York or New England, or down into
Virginia and the neighboring South
one might go, but, under present con-
ditions it would be to go for the sake
of turning around and coming right
back again.
Turmoil is in the Washington air.
The individual Congressman is not
overworking himself but there is much
maneuvering and manipulating. DEM
ocrats have serious problems. For in
stance, it is really a big problem how
to get $1,000, 100000 of appropriations
all enacted and on President Wilson's
desk before noon of March 4. Repub-
licans are putting little trigs in the
way already, just to remind Democrat
lie brethren that there are Republicans
to be reckoned with. Much clever
management will be indispensable to
make the appropriation bills law in
time to avoid an extra session.
Senate Republicans truly are pun
laying deep plans to prevent the pas
sage of the ship purchase bill and,
indeed of any legislation the President
wants outside of the appropriation
bills. The big stir at the Capitol re-
Gently has been by Representative
Gardner, of Mass, who is grasping
Democrats by the ears for not voting
large appropriations for military es-
tablishment. A few days ago he made
an all day scene before the House
Naval Affairs Committee. He per-
petrated a real rough house. there.
The Massachusetts, Republican quoted
figures and other data to demonstrate
that the current arrangements for a
small army and navy are inadequate
and then he raked Democratic mem
bers at the Committee table fore and
aft
Such a scene as occurred there is
rare in Congressional annals. Mr..
1 Gardner walked up and down at the
committee table and told those DEM
ocratic members what he thought OF
them. He evidently was trying to
provoke the Democrats to put him
out but they would not. There was
repetition of this early this present
week when Mr.. Gardner got hearing
before the House Military Affairs
+ Committee and undertook to repeat
+ the same tactics.
! The significant thing is that Demo-
Gratis do not propose to increase APP
preparations for army and navy mater
tally. They plan to vote about the
same sums for these establishments as
in former years. The Army Appropri-
alton bill has already been agreed to
in Committee TO carry about 900,
GEO, which is not far from the average
aggregate. The Democrats will put
on some extra money here and there
but il will amount TO little. Their
policy is against large military ex-
penses They contend that military
ACKNOWLEDGMENT is not desirable any
way but that whatever increases are
to be made in army and navy should
come after the lessons of the Euro
pean War are entirely learned.
There has been a long and interest
ing series of hearings before the
House Naval Affairs Committee
These hearings. just closed, brought
out a lot of information about the
condition of the Navy. The ships OF
the battle fleet are in good condition
but there is doubt whether all these
ships are equipped to the fine edge OF
ships in certain foreign navies. The
British are understood, to excel us ma
terially in gunnery. They have a far
more modern fire control for one thing
All the gunners have to do is to load
and aim. the aiming being determined
by directions from central point
There was controversy whether our
warships and submarines have an
adequate supply of torpedoes. Certain
authorities said yes and other au-
thorities said No" The facts are
| said to be that improvements in tor
pedo manufacture have been under
way so rapidly the Department has
hesitated about laying in big supply
Hardly can the contracts be filled be-
gore better and more deadly products
+ are either on the market or discovered
by torpedo experts.
There is likewise controversy as to
how many additional men are needed
for the Navy. Divergent testimony
was offered for the committee. The
dispute hinged much on the reserve
ships The big navy men do not want
the battleships in cold storage" but
in commission all the time, which, OF
course, costs tens of millions of extra
dollars yearly. The Congress probably
will authorize two additional dread
naughts at this session just as
has been done at most sessions
of Congress for number of years
There will also be authorized probably
considerable number Of auxiliary
ships and goodly number of submar-
ines There was much testimony be-
fore the committee about submarines
and the big navy people sought tc
make it appear that only one submar.
inc was fit for service a few weeks age
when some maneuvers were under
| taken.
In submarines, again, great improve
ments are being made. Submarines OF
the smaller type have been designed
for harbor defense. Certain experts
question seriously whether submarines
can be utilized particularly for harbol
defense. These experts favor the larg
er seagoing submarine. of the type
with which the Germans have beer
doing much damage to their enemie:
|