River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-02-11
WASHINGTON LETTER
From James A. FFear, Member of Congress,
10th District.

A vigorous fight occurred over tht
naval bill last week to determine
whether four battIeships or non a
all should be added to the navy
Capt. Hobson asked for four battle
ships, WitherspO3n wanted none e
all, but the com mittee's reconlnen
dation of two was finally adopted
To understand be stu alton fully
il must be understood that while I
few hundred thousand dollars would
build and equip an ironclad or :
frigate during the Civil war, from
twelve to fifteen million dollars is
now required to put forth q modern
sea fighter. Before the battles hips
can get under Wav, turtle backed
subm arine with nothing exposed
but bean pole may send a torpedo
and that is the end of q battles hip
and its crew averaging about !:
thousand men This is not intend
ed to discourage candidates for An
napoliS, several of whom have writ
ten to take examin atoms for tive
vacancies existing in our District
Not one out of a hundred of our
naval officers have died in battle, a
fact worth remembering, lthough
the percentage is somewhat higher
across sea.
The Presidents veto Of the immi-
grafton bill was sustained because
| it failed to receive a two-thirds vote
in the House. The defeated bill
which originally passed the House
by a TWO thirds vote and the Senate
by five. sixths vote, added Sigh!
literacy test to other immigration re-
strictions now imposed by law
Facts were presented to the House
showing that while countries of nor
thern and central Europe, on e
average, have as high standards Of
education as Wisconsin but little
immigration came from these coun
tries. in recent years, nor is any now
likely to come for several years be-
cause of the war The bulk of i'm
migration today is from Mediteraue-
an countries, and over half of the
immigrants f r m some of these
countries can neither read nor write
any language According to Stats
tics, this annual influx, reaching
hundreds of thousands, remain in
the cities, although a portion is in
directly contracted for by large
mining companies working through
shipping concerns Another side
of the problem comes from our own
unemployed, which today include
10000 men in Chicago, double that
number in New York City, and ag.
gregate several millions throug hout
the country. The number is large
y increased through immigration
brought by misleading inducements
alleged to be used by shipping CON
Germs engaged in the business The
problem is rapidly becoming more
serious by reason of labor condi-
tons now existing, but the present
bill has failed to become a law.
One of the f1ercest and most per-
sonal battles the Senate has had
for years, according to its mem bers,
was brought about oyer the mer-
chant marine fight, when Senator
Stone of Missouri tried to read out
of his party seven Democratic Sena
tors who bolted the caucus decision.
Camden of Kentucky called Mis-
souri's Senator by the familiar title
of Gum Shoe Bill" and Vardemau
| of Mississippi offered a choice sup
ply of unfriendlY opinions that will
not be forgotten for months to come.
The Republican Senators took no
part in the family disagreement,
which covered three days of speech
es by dozen able Democratic Sena-
tors.
Senator Nose Clapp is classed as
a Progressive Republican, which
probably accounts for his invita-
ton to discuss the merchant marine
question with President Wilson aft
er the DETECTION of seven Senators
occurred. The Senate confirms the
press report that he declared to the
4 fdAr<