Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-19
CLASH At HEARING
ON THE NAVY BILL
Acrimonious Dispute Causes
Mr.. Witherspoon to Leave
Room in Anger.

With the hearings on the naval APP
preparation bill at an end. the House
naval affairs committee will meet
again Monday to consider the draft of
the bill for navy needs. which will be
reported to the House. The hearings
closed yesterday in a blaze Of excite
ment, With Representative Witherspoon
of Mississippi too Indignant to remain
in the committee room longer. and
with a verbal battle of loud and semi
humorous character going on between
Representative Gardner Of Massachu-
sets and Represe ntative Gray of In
diana. Representative Gardner was be-
fore the committee all day and was on
the verge of leaping over the table
half a dozen times in his effort to cram
his facts into the NAV of the COM
mittee. At one time during the hear
ing he was questioned very closely by
committee member:
Remember" shouted Mr.. Gardner. IT
am neither an admiral Of the navy nor
a prisoner at the bar
Suggests Adjournment.
The hearing was SO stormy that Rep
resentative Witherspoon of Mississippi
sought to break 1t up by an adjourn
ment Chairman Padgett counseled
against this, saying:
THAT is just what he wants-to say
We refused him a hearing"
However Representative Witherspoon
refused hearing. as far as his own
ears were concerned. and left the room.
After Mr.. Gardner had made his
statement as published in The Star of
6Sfn low 1an I'D
animation, saying he did not want his
facts challenged later in the House
Representative Gray asked whether
he had written letters to commercial
organizations.
IL sent out letters to chambers OF
Mr.. Gardner Retorts.
what organizations did you EN-.
ploy?"
DO you mean to say 1 am in ALL
ance with the manufacturers Of ma,
terial? I am paying every cent myself
Representative Gardner read an ar.
ticle saying that White House officials
had declared the agitation for a larger
navy and army was fostered by the
manufacturers of war munitions
Representative Gerry of Rhode Is.
land asked Mr.. Gardner what he was
advocating.
want a commission to investigate
the whole subject"
Then do We understand YOUR infor.
NATION is current gossip
"Oh, Mr.. Gerry replied Representa-
i've Gardner, you don't think that all
tnese facts obtained from government
ohciais and submitted to this commit
tee are current gossip, do your
Publlc hearings on the measure were
quite a departure from the usual Gus
TOM or framing a naval appropriation
oiil, and during the past fortnight Gre
ated the liveiiest interest. Secretary
Daniels, the commander of the Atlantic
oatt!eship fleet, the former commander
or the fleet and high officials of the
navy Department appeared before the
committee and for the first time told
OF the haVy's needs in public.
Submits a Statement.
Representative Roberts has submitted
to the committee a statement, based on
a communication from Secretary Dam
iels, comparing the annual recommen-
datiens of the general board of the
navy with what Congress actually
granted during the years 1sos-1,14.
me statement shows that during that
PERIOD The general board recon: ended
thlrty-eight battleships, one armored
cruiser, three protected cruisers and
two battle cruisers. OF these recom-
m eas1 Congress authorized the
a aiol cruisers and no protected
cruisers or battle cruisers. Other inn
portant recommendations made by the
board were Ill destroyers. OF which
congress authorized fifty-two; thirty
four scout cruisers, of which Congress
allowed three. and thirty Submarines.
which the Congress increased to fiffv"
five