The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-16
GREAT NAVAL PLANS
ARE ACCEPTED
Congress Virtually Completed the Ma
tional Defense Program When the
House Voted as3 to 81 in
Favor OF the Bill.

Washington, ID. C., Aug. l6.-Congress
virtually completed the national defense
program last night by finally approving
the great increases in naval construction
and personnel written into the naval bill
and urgently supported by the admins
tration.
The House accepted the building pro
gram TO which it's eonferees on the meas
ure had refused 10 agree by vote of 2s3
10 81, with ! Of the members present not
voting. The personnel increases on which
there also was a disagreement in confer
ence were approved without a record
vote
The personnel and construction sec
tions which already have the approval of
the senate authorize an increase in en-
listed men TO 74,700 and the building of
l57 war vessels within the next three
wears, with four battle cruisers and four
battleshps included among the ships for
1917. Previously the House had refused
to adopt continuing building program,
had authorized capital ships, all of them
battle cruisers. and had provided for a
personnel of only $1,000
On several less important sections, In
cluding appropriations for improvement
of navy yards the House insisted or its
disagreement TO Senate increases and
voted to send the bill back to conference |
for settlement of these points. An early |
settlement is expected however and the |
measure may be sent TO the president for |
his signature within a week
Cnnro3 Doutals tsa,,aJ
last night, pointing out that the build
ing authorizations in the bill were the
greatest ever passed in any country and
would give the United States, in the opin-
ion of naval authorities, the second larg
est navy in the world. He declares the
measure $50 complete and nearly perfect
that il viii stand as a model for all
navy bills for future legislators"
The vote by which the House accepted
the Senate increase in the building pro-
gram was bipartisan, the majority of
both Democrats and Republicans voting
in the affirmative. OF the 81 members
who voted in the negative, there were
Is Democrats, Is Republicans and So I
,ialist I
During debate On the building program.
he Republicans insisted that they had
ed the way toward increases and that F
he administration was not entitled to all {
,f the credit. &
The time allotted opponents of the big a
program was controlled by Democratic t
eader Kitchin, who charged the Demo
rats with sharp change of front.
1.-TWO months ago the Democrats, urged
W the administration, were asked to vote \
gainst the wild, reckless, extravagant
proposed by the Repubi-
ans" said Mr.. Kitchin. Il denounced =
he Republican program as reckless erin u
nalty. Yet now the chairman of the !,
ommittee, the secretary of the navy, !,
he president and fellow Democrats ask =
ne to get up here and eat my words.
'When this program passes the Con- p
ress and is signed by the president, this a
alton win be the greatest military ma a,
ion the world has ever seen. And yet +,
hey say we are sane and patriotic. =,
Republican Leader Mann, advocating
he increase, declared it was ordinary oe
'isdom to prepare for what we hope W
ill never come" =;
Il want to keep out of war" he said, a..
but we should be prepared to protect ~
nr rights at home and abroad The N.
edit will belong to the Republican side,
,r the votes that will pass this larger !,
rogram." ~
Senate amendments to which the House :,
7agreed and which will be referred -
gain to conference included these appro- ~
-iations; S6,000,000 for equipment of -,
lie Puget sound, Philadelphia, Norfolk, ba
Dston, Portsmouth, Charleston and New
rleans navy yards for construction of
arships, with immediate equipment of
e Puget sound, Philadelphia, Boston A,
ID Norfolk yards to build capital ships;
,250,000 additional for improvements at
e Charleston navy yard including
y dock to cost 81 ,0s5,000; 100000 to wa
large facilities of the Portsmouth navy tel
nd; 100000 for a new wharf at the We
NV Orleans navy yard; and 100000 Co
r investigation of submarine and avia- 20'
IN bases, and plans for defense of har- bil
RS and canals wi