Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-08
SENATE COMMITTEE
REFUSES TO BE AWED
Proceeds to Recommend Appropria-
tions For EquipPins Federal Armor
plants at Mare Island and New York
Navy Yards-Ho ouse Measure Calling
For 800 Additional Midshipmen at
Annapolis Also Approved.

ate naval committee today that they
would raise the price Of armor plate
5000 per ton if congress decided TO
erect or purchase armor plants.
After brief consideration the commit
tee ordered favorably reported the Dill
authorizing the expenditure Of $5o0,O
to equip the Mare Island navy yard tor
battlesnip construction, and 100000 70
Il enlarge facilities of the New York navy
ward and the bill to add 800 midshlp-
men to the first class at Annapolis next
July. These two bills passed the house
yesterday.
Senator Penrose notified the commit
tee of the stand of armor plate manu-
facturers, those chiefly concerned pelne
the Bethlehem and Midvale steel COM
panies.
Committee Calls Bluff.
The committee voted, nevertheless
nine to three, to report favorably Sem
4 ator Tillman's bill to authorize the sec
retary Of the navy to provide either oy
erection or purchase Of an armor plate
factory, or both, with a capacity OF not
less than 100000 tons of armor per
year. The bill would appropriate $ll,-
000. 600. Senators Penrose, Lodge and
i Smith, Of Michigan. republicans, voted
q against reporting the bill.
Chairman Tillman and Senators
& Swanson, Bryan, Johnson, OF Maine
Chiffon, Phelan and Pittman. demo-
& crate, and Clapp and Poindexter, re-
publicans. voted for 1t.
.Rchhsrs." Says Tiilman.
The threat Of the armor barons to
hold up the government viii not afect
z x. -
were given to understand that the man :
ufacturers would increase their price
because government manufacture of
armor plate would force them to go
out OF that business and they would
charge this enormous increase in order
TO provide themselves with an amorti-
zation fund But I guess we can find
a way to stop the robbers. In time of
trouble we could seize their plants and
operate them by right of eminent do
main.''
House Passes, Bills.
Z Two house measures to strengthen
the navy went over to the senate to-
day One was bill to provide for add
ing 900 midshipmen to the entrance
class at Annapolis next July and the
other calls for equipping Of the navy
yards at New York and Mare Island
for the construction Of battleships No.
43 and No. A.
Speaker Champ Clark took the lead
in urging passage Of the two measures
in the house. He was strongly sup
ported by Representative Mann, the
minority leader. with the result that
party lines were obliterated and both
measures passed the house without a
dissenting vote.
Red Cross Wants Legislation.
Mabel T. Boardman. Of the Ameri-
can Red Cross, before the house mill
tary committee today urged provision
in the army bill for coordination for
Red Cross work. Authority should be
gtvcn the secretary of war, she said, to
detail officers to the Red Cross, for the
purpose OF facilitating the work in war
time and to permit of construction Of
Red Cross warehouses on government
g reservations.
Cross plans for its part in prepared
ness. Six thousand trained nurses al
ready are enrolled.
senators figured that if the armor
,plate manufacturers did not raise the
price It would cost the government
S24.00o, 900 extra for armor plate to
complete the five year naval building
program.
laFoIletts Blocks Hurried Action.
Senator LaFollette blocked an at
tempt to paxs immediately the pro-
z posals making available at once $780,
600 to equip the navy yards at New
f York and Mare Island. altho Chairman
Tillman asked consent for its in1me-
diate consideration.
II think that matter Of such i'm
por.ance should call for written re-
port" said Senator IaF'ollette.