Arizona republican., 1916-02-08
Opening Gun Is Fired In Congress When House Passes Two Important Navy Measures Without Dissenting Vote
Republican A. p. Leased Wirei


 WASHINGTON, Feb. Speaker Clarke and Republican Leader Mann fought side by side in the house today for adequate national defense. With party lines obliterated most of the members followed their leaders and two navy measures passed without a dissenting vote. One, to provide for adding three hundred midshipmen to the entering class at Annapolis next July, passed 173 to 0 and the other to equip navy yards for construction of hattleships numbers 43 and A, passed without a roll call
 MT. Mann tried to put the anti pre- paredness advocates on record by call ing for a division on the naval acad- emy bill but there were no negative responses.
 The appearance of Speaker Clark on the floor to champion preparedness measures aroused wide interest. Rum ors persisted that he would take active charge of the fight to increase the army and navy Majority Leader Kitch- in having joined the opposition.
 Immediate improvement of the navy ny designing new hattleships along the lines of the best now in use. doubling the membership of both Annapolis and West Point, creation of many addition al regiments for the army and the short term enlistments to produce a reserve were among the suggestions made by the speaker. He said he eX- Naafa1 ta SlIhiQr% n preparedness generally.
 Mr Mann reiterated his previous pleas for a larger army and navy and aided in maneuvering the bills to pas sage This is not the time for crim- ination and recrimination' said he. .'It | is rot the time for finding fault with :! that which has been. It is the time for all to join hands for that which may come"
 | The debate went far afield from the I measures under consideration extend 1 ing to the general subject of military i preparedness. The unusual sight oi | the speaker and the minority leader battling together for administra tior measures while the majority leader sa silently in the back of the house, at tracted crowds to the galleries, anC members rushed to the floor from theil offices and committee rooms.
 Mir Clark urged haste in getting nev battleships into commission. He asked Chairman Padgett of the naval com mittee why it would not be a gOot rlan to pattern the two battleship' numbers 43 and A after the best Unit ed States ship afloat and get then completed quickly. z
 Simply because" MT. Padgett said l ''tne chief of the bureau of construc tion told us that he had plans worke' out that would make decided improve ments against torpedo attacks
 ''Why do they not put those plan into operation?" the speaker continued
 They will" MT. Padgett said, "a soon as they get authority provided il this resolution"
 We shall all die of old age befor they are completed at this rate" tn speaker responded.
 Representative Padgett told tn house that three ships-the Oklahoma ! the three best in the work at the tim
 they were laid down, would be com pleted and put in commission durin thic year-two of them in the earl summer. one in the autumn.
 If any emergency should arise" h added, "a very small resolution of con eress carrying the necessary appropri ation could provide for extra ships"
 Representative Cannon of Illinois
 created a stir by asking if the talk ( preparedness was a sham performano
 for campaign purposes. Later he sai
 he did not intend the remark as a crit
 cis1n of the president.
 ''The gentleman was trying to put a nice way very nice criticism of tf president, but he did not get away wit 1 it." Representative Fitzgerald of Ne York said.
 "The president of the United States
 answered Mr. Cannon, lis my presideI , as well as your president, and if l ca
 find out what is the proper thing to d if it is necessary to do anything, I stand ready to help him do it.
 'If we ever have another war, Whit
 do not believe we will have, if We a f tend to our own business" Speak : Clark said. while advocating the nav !, academy bill, what we will need mo V Continued on Page TeD