Evening star., 1915-12-13
Senator TiI|man Also Pays His
Respects to Former Pres
ident Roosevelt.
ADDRESSES THE SENATE
ON ARMOR PLATE BILL
South Carolinian Says He Realizes
Need of Increasing the
Army and Navy.

nings Bryan, "evangel OF peace at
any price, has lost his usual
poise. and that Theodore Roose-
welt is "snorting and roaring like
a veritable bull of Bashan,'
Senator Tillman OF South Caro-
lima, chairman OF the naval affairs
committee, today addressed the
Senate in support of his bill for
the establishment of govern
ment armor plate factory.
He said that he keenly realized
the need of increasing the army
and navy and that prompt ac-
ton was needed.
Senator Tillman said.
The question of preparedness. now SO
universally discussed. is one requiring
grave consideration and prompt action.
There are all sorts of opinions and ad-
vice from all quarters-good, bad and
not only unwise, but unthinkable of
adoption except by wild men from
Borneo.'
Bryan, VINO IS the eSanReI OF
peace at any price is bitterly opposed
to any and all increase, either in the
army or the navy. l have been his
friend. both personally and politically.
for many long years, but he seems to
be simply obsessed on this subject and
has lost his usual pose.
'.Ex-President Roosevelt, on the other
hand. who snorts and roars like veri-
table bull of Basham, poses as the god
of war and clamors for a very large
standing army and great reserves. He
reminds one of the giant in Mother
Goose:
"'Fo. fl. 70. fun.
| smell the blood of German man,
Be he live. or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread
while ] realize there is need of
larger army than We now have. and es-
pecially of officers who are trained in
the handling of troops. common sense
teaches me that if we legislate prompt
~ to get an adequate navy as called
for in the last democratic platform and
demanded in louder and more clarion
tones in the Presidents address to Con-
gress last week, it would go farther
foreign attack than would any other
instrumentality we can provide.
The navy is spoken of-and rightly
so-as our first line of defense: and
country second to none on the water
except England.
Need of Efficient Navy.
'It stands to reason that the stronger
and more efficient navy we have, the
less need there will be for a great en-
larsement of the army; for as our
country is not likely to enter into a
war of aggression anywhere, or under
any provocation, and only seeks to de-
Iend itself and maintain the new Mon
roe doctrine enunciated by President
wilson, II no enemy can land on our
shores we would not need an army to
defend them, but could depend on vol
unteers and the National Guard in an
emergency.
But, as ] see it, no emergency can
possibly arise if we have an adequate
navy. Such a navy is an imperative
necessity, not only to national life and
honor now. but to maintain the newer
and nobler Monroe doctrine-'America
for the Americans
Just what vessels We ought to au-
thor1ze to be built will be thrashed out
by the naval committees of the House
and Senate after consultation with the
experts from the Navy Department
But there is one question which ought
to be decided very promptly. and that
IS the authorization of the construc-
tion by the government of its own ar
NOR plant. With this idea in view ]
introduced the bill authorizing the Sec
! retary of the Navy to build such a
plant as soon as practica Bile, and / be-
iieve the very promptest action is nee
essary in both ends OF the Capitol.
| The bill ought to go through this
end Of the Capitol and the other end.
| too. inside of thirty days and become
law, for with the utmost energy and
not less than year to construct and
| equip such plant and get it in run
| ming order.
Gigantic, Task Ahead.
"It is a gigantic task to construct
such plant, as every one must see.
and no red tape of any kind-least Of
| all interminable debate on this floor
or in the committees-shouid delay it
| in the slightest degree. The country
| ought to regard as public enemy any
| senator or member of Congress who
tries to delay or thwart this purpose
Amy delay in beginning work would be
criminal unless a continuance of the re-
publican program heretofore followed of
having the Treasury robbed right along
| is to &C on. l cannot believe there are
any such republicans here.
| The country is at present in the grasp
! OF an armor trust, as it has been these
twenty years The committee appointed
last winter to investigate this subject
made its report in the expiring hours Of
| .iiS iaSt sSssioH OF congress, when every
thing was under such pressure at both
ends OF the Capitol, and l doubt if many
OF you have even read it or had time 10
look into the matter at all Ii Is House
Document No. 1920.
After most careful investigation in
the TIME allowed us. making tine most
| searching efforts to reach accurate con-
| eIusiohs, an armor factory of %. OoD
| tons capacity was estimated to cost
| $l0.53l,S06. while a factory of 10 400
| tons capacity would cost $6.635.l0 II
was deemed best to Introduce the hill
| Tor -thousa nd ton plant rather
| than the smaller one, for the reason
| that armor manufactured in the larger
plant will cost much less per ton tina
| IL made in the smaller one Then. 100.
we Will need that amount, and more.
for some years to come
Should Protect Warships.
Whatever number of war vessels we
finally conclude to build. armor of some
sort Will be necessary to give as much
protection to the ships as is now
thought wise and best. OF course, the
Improvement of modern gunnery has
shown conclusively that no armor ever
manufactured or that can be manufac-
tured can resist artillery as now made
just as no Notifications now in exist
ence, or that can be built, except earth
/, Continued on Twelfth PageD.