Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-11

since the naval boards first recon-
mendations. and every secretary, ex-
cept one, until now, have rejected and
declined TO accept their recommends
tions, and no congress has ever yet ap-
proved them. Mr.. Roosevelt did not ac-
cept them. Only one of his secretar-
les, Mr.. Metcalf did. Neither did Mr..
Taft, nor his secretary of the navy, ac-
cent their recommendation at any
time during his four years term. Both
Mr.. Wilson and Secretary Dan
iels In 1913 declined to accept their
recommendations. They declined again
to accept their expert opinions in 1914,
five months after the European war
had begun. They both opposed their
recommendations and so did Admiral
Fletcher. the highest active officer In
the navy, commander Of the Atlantic
feet. But now the papers denounce me
as an idiot" as traitor to my
rarity and to the administration il /
do not swallow at one gulp the rec
concentrations Of the naval experts,
/ because the president and his secre-
terry of the navy, for the first time ac-
cept them.
At the last session Of congress (this
year, the president. the secretary Of
the navy, Admiral Fletcher and other
naval commanders, and the democrats
I in congress opposed the program Of
the Hobsons. Gardners and other jim
goes (much smaller than the present
proposed programl, The policy Of the
administration was summed up before
the naval committee in the words OF
the secretary Of the navy TT would be
most unwise for us to act today in any
particular as we would not have acted
/ If there was no war. My theory is that
I our country ought to be carrying On
it's regular orderly normal program
as to the navy. With our policies and
our American ideas I think the policy
recommended in my report and adopt
ed by the last session Of congress (and
/ recommended at this session. is the
steady development that is needed 1t
meets the needs of the country" The
democrats supported that policy. 1t
was enacted into law This same pol
icy, as I have heretofore shown, is
making our navy bigger, stronger and
/ more efficient than ever before-the
, strongest in the world except that Of
Great Britain.
/ It is my undoUbting conviction, that
it is most unwise and dangerous at
this time. especially under the pres
ent circumstances. to abandon that
policy and adopt the big, enormous,
revolutionary program proposed
! It is not a party or partisan cues
/ ton. The president so declares Every
body knows it is not. Il is one for
each individual member 10 decide as to
his vote for himself. The majority
members Of the Ways and Means COM
! mittee, in the first instance, make up
/ the committee assignments Of the
house. I am chairman OF the commit
/ tee, which carries with It the posi-
/ ton of majority leader shall not use
such positions in influencing in any
way any member on the question.
Those who oppose my position and
those who endorse it will be treated
alike as to their assignments to COM
mittees and as to all other matters
which I, as chairman and leader, and
the members Of the house, Individually
/ or collectively, are concerned.
In conclusion: To differ with the
I president, to differ with my friends, in
and out Of congress, in the heat Of the
moment TO be severely criticized, and
sometimes denounced by them, gives
me not only exceeding regret, but
much pain and distress. However. af-
ter having given the subject much
study and thought, being once on the
naval affairs committee, and interested
for years in naval subjects, I can
not support the program. In deciding
on this course I knew full well that a
part of the penalty which I would have
to undergo would be the criticism. the
ridicule, the denunciation, the misrep-
resentation and the nbeling Of myself
by the press from one end Of the
country to the other. Having the ap-
prevail OF my Judgment and conscience.
I after mature study and thought. and
impelled by sense Of duty, I take the
step, mattering not the consequences,
political or otherwise. to myself.