New-York tribune., 1919-02-05
House Leaders
Assail Wilson's
Big Navy Plea
Continued from page 4

velopmcnts in the way of tribunals,
etc. for disarmament and league of
nations he should be allowed to dis
continue the building programme"
Was the alleged quotation in a
morning paper to-day that failure to
adhere to the three-year building pro-
gramme would be fatal to my negotia-
tlons,' lntimating that the United
States had only one negotiator over
there, accurate?" asked Mr. Gillett.
mo. sir. that was not accurate" re-
piled Mr.. Padgett.
Later IN denying pointblank re-
quest that the House be given the full
cablegram, Mr.. Padgett qualified his
statement by saying that "the worde>
quoted We're not correct as they were
quoted"
Mr. Padgett stated that the commu-
nlcatlon was given to him by the Sec
retarry of the Navy confidentially.
And | told him." he said, that what
ne mad given to me in confidence l felt
should be given to the members of the
committee, and did so in the same
copndence 1t was given to me so far
as ethe language was concerned"
IN reply to question by Representa-
tive Graham, of Illinois, Mr.. Padgett
said the Presidents cablegram was 'Sthe
one reason that this report here is
unanimous"
II does not seem conceivable to
me-" SAID Representative Campbell, of
Kansas, after referring to the work of
the peace conference, "that the man
who is leading the programme for set
Ting international differences without
resort to arms, who is leading a pro-
gramme of progressive disarmament
and WHO has insisted upor open diplo-
macy would secretly ask the Naval
committee to insist upon a naval pro-
gramme that the Congress and the
country could not understand or know
is 1t the intention that Congress" :"
continued Mr.. Campbell, "nothwith
standing the programme of world dis
armament, should give this authoriza-
tlon Tor an increased naval establish
ment Tor the purpose of enabling the
PRESIDENT to hold that over those with
Whom he is now in consultation Is it
a threat?"
Ihere was no expression OR indica-
ton OF any such purpose in his cable
gram" replied Mr.. Padgett.
q Mr.. Mann, of Illinois, Republican
floor leader, insisted that the House
was entitled to the facts before acting,
What | want to get at. and what
the country wants to know" said ME-
Mann. sis whether Congress is asked
In blind way, without information.
without laying the cards on the table
TO vote an Immense naval programme
when the information which would in
fiuence Congress is in Washington"
Again Mr.. Padgett refused to furnish
further information.
Representative Longworth, Of Ohio.
reading from the Presidents last mes
sage to Congress, facetiously referred
to by several members during the de-
bate as his farewell address," called
Mr. Padgett's attention to this lam
guage:
II shall be in close touch with YOU
and with affairs on this side of the
water, and you will know all that | do"
Under these circumstances. does not
the gentleman think that some official
IN the executive branch of the Admin
lstration should let us know of this in
formation from the other side ?v said
Mr.. Longworth.
There was no reply.
isn't this the same situation. the
same mystery, that applied to the ques-
ton of Panama Canal tolls ?" asked |
Representative Graham, of Illinois.
THE same sort of injunction was put /
upon it," replied Representative But |
Ter, of Pennsylvania, "and I voted
against it. But that concerned dollars |
and cents and this is more than that"