The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-09-18

would make it impossible for the
government to acquire Kent Island.
The entire proceedings occupied
ABOUT 10 minutes.
Meantime Senator Smith was anX-
| iously awaiting the verdict from the
committee room Although the Sen
ate was not in session, Senators
dropped in occasionally TO assure
him and Senator Martin, who was in
the room with him, that if the Mill
tary Affairs Committee decided
against Kent Island they would as
sist him in his fight on the floor oil
the Senate Senator kerwin, DIT
Benton and one OF two other Kent
| Islanders were in the room anxious
| ly awaiting the news from the COM
mittee room. About 8 minutes al
| ter 8 O'Clock Col. Tom kellar, the
veteran assistant ergeant-at-arms
OF the Senate, came into the room.
He looked at Senator Smith with a
smile and said Unanimous.
Senators Martin and Smith shook
hands in mutual congratulation.
Senator Kerwin threw his arms
around Senator Smith and thanked
| him. The venerable DR.. Benton trl-
ed to talk, then dropped into a chair
and, leaning his head on the table,
cried like little child.
The other Kent Islanders also
thanked Senator Smith and then
sent the good news home on. the
! long distance telephone. Presently
Senator Reed, of Missouri, a men,
! Der of the committee, came in TO
| formally notify Senator Smith, as
the representative of the Military
Affairs Committee, of the action II
! had taken and he impressed on MI.
| Smith that the vote was unanimous.
This ends the effort of the gov
eminent to acquire Kent Island, for
Secretary Baker publicly assured the
| committee at its hearing last Satur-
| day that the War Department would
abide by the action Of the commit
| tee. Mr.. Baker left the city early in
the day.
Naturally L am very much graft
fed that the Military Affairs Com
mittee has saved Kent Island" said
Senator Smith. "As | have said
again and again, the people OF Kent
Island are as loyal as any people in
this country. They gave up 90 OF
their sons for the National Army
and SIX more volunteered for the
regular Army, so that they showed
their love of their country 1hey
would have sacrificed their homes.
just as they gave up their sons, mad
it been necessary. My sole point IN
all my efforts to save Kent Island
has been my conviction that II was
unnecessary to destroy Kent Island
for a proving ground. because there
are so many other places that the
government can use.
Nothing is farther from my mind
than 10 deprive the government OF
proving ground, and, therefore, 1
very much regret that the House
struck out the provision today on a
point of order 1t was not done by
Mr. Price or any other member OF
! the Maryland delegation, because
when these suggestions We're first
made to us by the parliamentarians
of the House, who knew that the APP
propriation was subject to point
of order, | urged Mr.. Price not TO
make the point of order. because
that would deprive the government
Of money for an ordnance ground,
ard | certainly had no surh inten-
t.Ga.
Indeed. | am convinced that il
Mr.. Price could have had the appro-
priation restored in any way he
would have done so. As it is, Sena-
tor Martin and | have already
agreed that when the bill comes to
the Senate we will put into it any
amount that the Army officers name.
When restored to the bill in the
| Senate it will not be subject to a
point of order in the House"