Arizona republican., 1916-08-17
The Naval Bill


 It a Parthan arrow that Majority Leader Kitchin. of the house, let fly the course of the final vote the naval bill on Tuesday when he sad
 Two months ago the democrats, urged by the
 administration were asked to vote against the
 wild, reckless, extravasant appropriations pro-
 posed by the republicans l denounced the
 publican program reckless crminality. Yet
 the chairman of the committee, the
 tary of the navy, the president and fellow dem
 oerats ask me to get up here and eat my words
 Let the authoritative words of Mr. Kitchin the official spokesman of the democratic party in the house. be made a part the for campaign so that the voters will have to rely upon the bare assertions of republican campaign when they charge, they will charge and have charged. that the president has changed position prepared ness and that he and his party inconsistent
 We all know that year the president against preparedness; that after it became evil dent that the overwhelming majority of his country for it, the president began His not steady motion. but shifting one. forward and backward, and sidewise. until last caught in the current he was swept onward unre- sisting and apparently willingly
 Equally gyratory were the presidents movements In the of the army bill Now he advocated one plan and another. Here he changed rapidly Mir Garrison his secretary of war desparng of following him. quit his job
 But the president las a alert secretary of the navy in little "Me-too Josephus Daniels to whom biz navy and little navy the thing nothing so that his job remains The little legs of Josephus twined about that job with a tghtness that make boa constructors ashamed of their puny efforts.
 Josephus' original idea of a navy was Mir Bryans idea of navy. the presidents idea. very small navy Besides, small navy befitting the agernent of n small man No navy at vouId ha better about the size of the Swiss navy. whose participation Josephus solicited in American naval review. But the drawback about no-navy that there would be navy department So Josephus rather favored a small navy.
 When the president began to incline to a big navy since NIT. Bryan had loose, and Josephus that the democratic party not following him. Josephds began to incline also toward big navy. The presi- dent might be shifty but he could catch Josephus mapping. Josephus slept with both eyes open, one on his job and the other the president ready to move in any direction with the president. He simply could not be shook"
 Now that the bill has been passed Josephus swollen with pride, declares of the that is "so complete and nearly perfect that it will stand model for all navy bills for future legislators" We agree with Josephus that it is good bill but Jos ephus record in the matter of naval legislation should have precluded his approval of it.
 So good is the bill anyhow that every republican of prominence in the house voted for it and all the republican leaders urged it's passage. Thirty-five democrats including the majority leader voted it. vainy endeavorng to sustain the report of the house conferees.
 The naval bill in these circumstances, together with the circumstance that it is directly opposed the house program which itself liberal than the presidents notion of six months two months ago. and far liberal than any recommendation suggested by the secretary of the navy be regarded a democratic measure, but the actnent of standing republican policy backed by awakened public sentiment. Again refer to the quoted words of Mir. Kitchn. whom the rabd admirer of the administration must acknowledge authority democratic doctrines and policies.