The copper era and Morenci leader., 1918-10-04

the recommendation of Capt. Sims, now vice admiral of the American Fleet, and other naval officers, five battle cruisers were provided for in- stead of battleships. MT. Browning, Republican, moved to recommit the bill with instructions to provide for another battle cruiser and two addi- tional battleships. I voted against this motion, because the immediate construction of five battle cruisers would exhaust all of our building fla cilities, and for the further reason that the best naval authorities favor ed battle cruisers as against battle ships. The vote on the Browning mo- tion to recommit was-yeas, Demo- crats 25, Republicans, 153; nays, Dem- ocrats I'll. Republicans 16 (Con- gressional Record, 9189)
 In the Senate the naval appropri- ation bill was amended to provide for prising 10 battleships, battle cruis- CTS, large number of destroyers, and other craft. The President made it known that he favored these changes in the bill, and on August 15, 1916, I voted to concur in the Senate amendment. Congressional Record D 12700) The vote was-yeas Democrats 133 Republicans 147: nays, Democrats s. Republicans 15. The National Security League is un- fair when it fails to include this last vote in its list, which shows that, in common with the great majority of the Democrats, supported the Presi dents preparedness program.
 In this connection I want to point out that during President Wilson's first administration S1,141, ,S56, ,694. % was actually appropriated for the Navy. l voted for every dollar of that sum, which exceeds by over a hun dred million the entire amount ap- propriated during the previous eight years under Taft and Roosevelt When war was declared the Navy was ready, and it's efficient performance of every duty has shamed into silence the criticisms of the National Securi- ty League against the President, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Demo cratic Congress.
 He voted for declarat ton of war against Germany April 5, 1917.
 The Los Angeles Times, in an edi- torial which appeared on Semptem- Der ,, 1918 accuses me of being paci fist and states that Hayden voted against the declaration of war against Germany" I not only voted for the declaration of war against Germany hut am in favor of vigorously con- tinuing the conflict until the German army is totally defeated and Presi- dent Wilson's peace terms are uncon- ditionally accepted by the German people. The vote on the declaration of war was yeas" Democrats 1S1, Republicans 1S9: nays" Democrats 16. Republicans 32. fCongressionl Rec ord, pp. 412-413.)
 He voted against Kahn amendment to conscription act April g, 1917. This provided for the raising by con- scription of the necessary army to give effect to the declaration of war.
 The Kahn amendment did nothing except to strike out of the selective- draft bill the provision authorizing the President to call for volunteers. The bill as reported by the Committee on Military Affairs provided for the registration of all males between q and 40 for the purposes of the draft. It then authorized the President to call for a million volunteers, and pro- vided that if enough men did not volunteer the President was author ized to promptly set the draft ma chinery in motion. The Kahn amend ment directed that the draft be en- forced immediately.
 ynfod ooainSf hopancn ha1iQv- ed that men should first be given a chance to volunteer, and that all the soldiers that it was then planned to send to Europe could be obtained by volunteering. I stated several times on the floor of the House that if an ample number of volunteers could not be obtained that F was perfectly will ing to resort to the draft. If the Kahn amendment had been defeated it would not in the slightest degree have prevented the sending of our Army to France, because the original bill provided for the creation of local and district boards, the registration of our man power, and the President was given authority to apply the draft whenever he saw fit.
 The Kahn amendment was adopted by the following vote: Yeas" Demo- crats Al. Republicans ITO; nays, Democrats 59. Republicans AS. (Con- eressional Record D 15550 The rec ord vote was taken on April 2S, not on April 23. as stated by the Securi- av League. On the same day the se- 'ective draft bill passed the House hv vote of 397 to A, and I voted in favor of it's passage. Congress icnal Record D 1557.) The President has since said that he did not blame the members of Congress who voted apainst the Kahn amendment, be- cause it had always heen the policy of the Government to first call for vol unteers, and any man might honestly hesitate about adopting so radical change.
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