Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-22
LONG FIGHT OVER
BIGGER NAVY BILL
CONTINUED From First Paee1


After rejecting the smaller puiId
ing program of the House, the Senate
by vote of II to 8, passed the naval
appropriation bill Every effort OF
both Democratic and Republican
little navy Senators to reduce the
enormous measure - the amount OF
appropriations being s515,S26,S43-
Ialled by overwhelming votes.
me senate refused, by vote of &
70 II, TO accept the building program
OF the House bill, and in every instance
stood back of the big program recon-
mended by the Senate Naval Affairs
Committee.
On the final rollcall two Demo.
erats-Vardaman, of Mississippi and
Thomas Of Colorado - and six Re-
publlcans-Clapp of Minnesota; Curtis
OF Kansas; Gronna of North Dakota
La Toilette, of Wisconsin; Works OF
California, and Norris, of Nebra ska
voted against the Senate measure.
The bill now goes to conference and
Senator Tillman, chairman of the
Senate committee, anticipates a lively
night with Chairman Padgett and
other small navy advocates on the
House committee. Final agreement
upon the naval bill will be sought at
an early date because of Senator
Tillman's health, but it is believed the
Jill VIII bS III conference IOT at LEAST
two weeks Majority Leader Kitchin
already has announced his intention
to fight the Senate bill.
The bill as it passed the Senate yes
terday authorizes the construction of
l57 warships, ranging from dread
naughtS and modern battle cruisers
down TO submarines, within the next
three years. The cost of constructing
those ships will be $5SS,1S0,576, but
during the next year the expenditure
VIII amount to but $110,726,576. Dur
ing the next two years Congress will
be forced to appropriate for ship con-
struction alone s4SS,192,027.
Sixteen Capital Ships In Three Years
Ten dreadnaughts and six battle
cruisers are to be built within the next
three years, according to the provis-
ions of the bill. Four of the dread
naughts and four or the battle cruis-
ers are to be built as soon as possible.
Each of the dreadnaughts will cost
approximately S1S,0uO,000 and the
battle cruisers 100000 900 each.
With the first rollcall on an amend
ment proposing a reduction of the un-
precedented building program recon-
mended by the Senate Naval Commit
tee, IL was apparent that the Senate
would vote overwhelmingly against
any decrease. Senator Cummins, of
Iowa, first offered an amendment that
the building program of the next
three years be fixed at two dread
naughts and four battle cruisers. That
failed by vote of 60 to IA.
The next attempt TO cut the bill was
made by Senator Townsend, of Michi-
gan. He proposed that only four
battleships be built during the next
year, and that amendment was re-
jected, 5S to Is. Senator Kenyon. of
Iowa, offered an amendment increas-
ing the Townsend amendment by two.
making the number of dreadnauehts
to be built in the next three years six
and the number of battle cruisers to
be built this year two instead of four.
That failed by vote of 5S to II.
The next fight of the little navy
men was an amendment by Senator
Thomas, of Colorado, to accept the
building program carried in the bill
as 1t passed the House, providing five
battle cruisers and no dreadnaughts
this year. That received less votes
than any of the other Economy
amendments. 1t lost by a vote of 65
to IL.
The outstanding features of the bill
as 1t passed the Senate are:
A reduction of two years on the