The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-19
HOUSE COMMITTEE COMPLETES NAVAL
 BILL AND DANIELS
 REPORT IS IGNORED
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gress will provide for call for 36,ooo- ton ships mounting 10 16-inch rifles each and with a speed of 21 or more knots an hour. They will have 40Oo tons more displacement than ships to be laid down this year and exceed by nearly 5000 tons any foreign battleship built or building so far as navy de- signers know.
 The battle cruisers will cost $2O,- 900, 900 each as against S1S,OO0,OO0 es- timated for the dreadnaughts. On the basis of the committee bill navy eX- perts figure that this Congress will nrovide at least a total of s94,000,000 for new ships.
 The deadlock in the House committee followed a caucus of the eight republican members of the committee at which It was decided to oppose the five-year pro- gramme and to seek to increase the 1917 appropriations over the figure suggested by the department. Five of the 13 dem ocrats not only opposed the continuing programme but also were determined to cut down the 1917 estimates and not to vote for any battleship appropriation They were willing to support four bat tie cruiser programme, however, and the final compromise was effected by Chair man Padgett with Representative Hens ley of Missouri, a leader of the so-called little navy democrats, who induced the other four to join him in agreeing to the five battle cruiser plan.
 To meet this concession Chairman Pad- gett was compelled to abandon the five year project and 1t was not brought to a vote in the committee, as it was cer- tain of defeat if the republicans and lt- tie navy democrats combined. He was also forced to accept a provision pro- posed by Representative Hensley author izing the President to call conference Of world powers at the conclusion of the European war to draw plans for an international peace tribunal. An appro- priation of $2OO,00O for this purpose is car- ried in the section, which was adopted unanimously, and it would authorize the President to appoint nine citizens distin- guished as lawyers and peace advocates, to represent the United States.
 SOLID PARTY VOTE
 The compromise building programme was carried by the solid democratic vote of the committee and against the solid republican membership The republican programme, agreed to by the minority when the democratic plan was learned, was two battleships. six battle cruisers, six scout cruisers, 50 submarines. 28 de- stroyers, two gunboats. one destroyer ten der two fuel oil ships a supply ship, a naval transport, hospital ship, an am- munition ship and a repair ship.
 Representative Stephens of California, republican, tested the committee with a series of motions, all of which were de- feated by both republican and democratic votes. They ranged from 10 battleships to 80 destroyers and represented, roughly figured a total cost of $599, 900, 000 The Pacific coast interests were taken care of in the compromise with a provision that e ght of the new submarines and four de- stroyars shall be built there if the cost of construction does not exceed Atlantic coast prices, by more than the additional freight charges on material.
 Majority Leader I<itchin of the House expressed great satisfaction with the bill and said it might be brought up in the House next week, although other demo- cratic leaders were not hopeful that it could be voted on before the national conventions. Mir. Kitchin's statement, however, is viewed as significant, as he has been opposed to the administration S preparedness measure.
 q am so well pleased over the pro- gramme as reported that certainly can not object to it, said Mir. Kitchin, "and may see my way clear to make speech in behalf of it. It is a. good thing not