New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-06
House, Boiling Party Lead.
ers. Refuses to Cut Pro-
gramme in Two.
UNDERWOOD PLEA
TO PARTY IS IN VAIN
Hospital Ship and Other
Important Items Are
Omitted. However.

leaders all favoring a building pro-
rramme OF one ncw hattleshir FOR next
year the House refused to-day 70
adopt Representative Urderwood's mo-
ton TO cut the battleship building
programme In two. The naval appro-
priation bill goes 20 the Senate with
two battleships provided for, but
sadly Scared as 20 other provisions
for Increasing the floating forces.
Representative Underwood made
party appeal and succeeded in cutting
down the submarine increase from six
teen 20 eleven, but leaving the one sea-
going submarine. Il was also a dis
tinctly party vote, Democrats leading,
that knocked out Of the bill the pro-
vision for a hospital ship and a trans
port
Representative Underwood took the
floor 10 plead for one bsttleship In
stead Of two. lie frankly said that the
Treasury would have q deficit Of at
least S35,0OO,0Oo next year, and his po-
sition was supported by speaker
Clark, Representative Mann, Republi,
can leader; Representative Glass and
others. On the first vote on this sub
ject, after Representative Hobson had
offered an amendment TO appropriate
for four battlcships, Representative
Underwood won easily. but in the final
passage Of the bill the two-battleshlp
men won by vote OF los 70 1i9.
More Than S7,4OO,OOO Cut Out.
The bill goes 10 the Senate greatly
changed from its original form. The
building programme, which was under
discussion for eight hours to-day, has
been cut from tWenty-nine new vessels
90 twenty-one, and more than $1,000
600 dropped from the bill.
The increase in the navy is now su-
tho-ized at two hattloships, six de
stroyers, one seagoing submarine and
eleven coast defence submarines. The
bill also has cut from u the naval re-
serve provision, the globe-encirclng
wireless station appropriation and the
creation Of a general board for the
navy. and the Dluckirg board legisla-
ton has been so badly amended that
the committee in charge of the bill
believes il will be nullihed. The aero
plane Appropriation was also cut 70
100000.
Representative Underwood supported
the motion Of Representative Irlbble,
. of Georgia, to take out Of the bill the
item of S2.250.O00 for a hospital ship.
The Georgia man had succeeded IN
knocking out q transport item OF ST.
100000. and said that the Secretary of
the Navy had not asked for either the
transport or the hospital ship.
Representative Underwood delivered
cplIpa
who had previously overridden him on
the first vote in favor Of two battle
ships, by saying:
at is time the Democratic party in
this House took charge Of this bill,
. and the hospital ship went out by l25
Democratic votes 10 70 Republicans.
Representative Roberts offered an
r. amendment making the bill carry $780,
F., 600 for a little gunboat asked for by
d. the Secretary Of the Navy. Led by I'm
derwood, the Democrats voted this
down, too.
Puts Deficit at s35,OOO,OOO.
This House and the country" said
the Democratic leader. ARE facing
.' serious financial condition. According
20 my estimates, unless you are willing
20 retrench in expenditures, or unless
when the next Congress meets you are
willing TO increase the taxation, you
are going 70 face deficit in the Treas
ury of something like S35,000,OOO. This
is due 10 increased appropriations,
coupled with a falling of OF $4,000
900 in the postal receipts, as the re-
suit of the war in Europe"
"The gentleman from Alabama is op-
timistic on the deficit which will arise
. under the tariff that bears his name"
suggested Representative Humphrey, OF
Washington. "It will be more like
500, 100000 than 100000
Representative Hobson said that
Army War College studies made II
clear that an enemy could easily take
New York City from the rear. even II
bombardmont should NOT be attempted,
although he said that was possible.
q ave have more exposed interests
than any other nation. By exposed
mean within gunshot Of the water.
Other nations. with large armies, get
ting control Of the sea, can strike us
without appreciate difficulty Raids
made two or three hundred miles from
New York simultaneously could not be
resisted by US. The enemy doing this
would levy tribute on the entire nation,
and before retiring would have de-
ttroyed all shipysrds and factories
where munitions OF war are manufact-
ured. a landing. for instance, could
easily be effected on the New Jersey or
Long Island shores. so that New YORK
can be taken from the rear