River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-07-20
The Arrival OF
The Deutschland
(From James A. Frear, M. CO.


our enormous naval program is prop
erly directed. In the Senate it is pro-
posed to add several battleships to
the five battle cruisers provided in the
House bill. These warships cost on
the average over twenty million dol
lars, or about two hundred million
dollars for the two types of vessels
proposed. The bill carries provision
for many new torpedo boats and de-
stroyers and other vessels, but bat
tleships and battle cruisers form the
largest items Of expense. Probably
YOU know the difference between these
ships and cruisers. Although costing
about the same amount, cruisers are
built primarily for speed, whereas the
battleship sacrifices speed for armor
and guns.
The largest English dreadnaughts
reach over $4,000 tons and have
speed Of % knots whereas Pennsyl-
vania, our largest ship, has 51,40O
but a maximum speed Of only 21A
knots an hour. Cruisers exceed bat
tleships in q speed which already riv-
ais the average for passenger train
service. With actual submarine war
fare in its infancy, it is problem to
determine what will constitute
formidable navy twenty years hence.
The Deutschland dropped into Balti-
more the other day carrying 1000
tons of dyestuffs from Germany.
Nearly 300 feet long, she had no
trouble in lodging all the warships
on both sides of the Atlantic and
when in dangerous quarters she dove
down into the sea and ran along few
feet under the surface at a rate OF II
an hour Although a swarm of large
and small foreign ships will be on the
outlook when she passes through the
Chesapeake capes, the submarines
captain laughs at the blockade.
Several of the Deutschland's sailors
visited Washington last week when
the mercury was trying to push the
ton off the thermometer. Asked If
they liked the heat, they replied it
was not to be compared with the in
side of "Sub" when running under
water
The conference report carrying over
S42,OO0,000 for the river and harbor
bill passed the House after another
brief fight in which the supporters OF
the bill lost an even 25 votes whereas
the same number of 143 votes were
cast against the report counting pairs
on the report. AS conference reports
the report. AS conference reports
are usually passed without serious OPP
position, this is conceded to have been
a remarkable showing, particularly as
some of those who spoke against the
last bill were absent from the city
without pairs. The writer does not
indulge in many predictions but IN
view of growing sentiment believes
that no old fashioned pork barrel will
get through next session. 1t will be
defeated or nicely trimmed next time.
However, the opposition has raised
much discussion on other wasteful
items in bills which formerly passed
without question and that is distinct
gain.
The Ruker corrupt practice bill is be-
fore the House and will be passed. A
federal law is in existence which pre-
vents Congressional candidates from
spending over 5000 for the nomina
writer in a minority report disclosed
that a South Carolina Congressman,
according to many witnesses, had ex-
pended 100000 for his nomination
while his defeated opponent spent $40
900. The House by a vote of two to
one, refused to unseat the Member
whose expenditures were over ten
times the legal limit. Law works diff
ferently in different sections.
Nick Longworth, Roosevelt's SON
in-law, is an old Member and is
relations. The other day in the House
he was discussing the Revenue bill
and election probabilities when he was
interrupted and turning to the Demo
cratic side he said that if the next
House did not show a Republican ma
jority of 100 over all, he would buy
new hat for each of the thirteen Dem
ocratic members of his committee.
That would not mean a land slide but
an avalanche. However, Longworth,
who halls from Ohio, is known to be
a shrewd politician and has in his
family other well known political
leaders. Within four months We will
know whether or not the hat market
is to be affected.