The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-05
PUbL|CANS TRY FRU|TLESSLY ID
 OBTAIN TEXT OF
 NAVAL CAbLEGRAM|
Presidents S MessageRespOn- sible for the Committees Unanimous RecOmmen-
 dation of Building
 Plans for Navy
By Associated Pros.

By Associated Pres, Washington, February 4. Disclosure in the House today by Chairman Padgett of the naval committee that Presi- dent Wilson, in cablegram last week to Secretary Daniels, in- sisted that Congress adopt the new three-year naval building programme was followed by flu tile efforts of republican mem bers to obtain the text of the message.
 Representative Padgett said the Presidents cablegram was responsible for the committees unanimous recom- mendation of the construction of 10 deadnaughts and 10 scout cruisers carried in the new $750,000,0O0 naval appropriation bill. consideration of which was begun in the House Mr Padgett refused to make public the text of the message on the ground that questions of foreign policy were involved in it's contents.
 '7rhe President was very earnest and very insistent that the three-year programme should be carried out" de- clared MT. Padgett Tn substance. the President stated that nothing had occurred over there to change his rec ommcndation, but he stated, however that he was willing that If there were developments In the way of tribunals for disarmament and a league of na- tions he would be willing that a pro- vlso should be inserted to allow him to discontinue or stop the programme" HUDDLESTON ONLY OPPONENT
 Only one member of the House
 opposed the proposed naval expan-
 sion during the debate today. Rep
 resentative HuddIeton of Alabama
 criticized the bill representing
 "poiicy of imperialism that
 would saddle the country with
 burden of miIitarism and would
 lead to another war. Representa-
 tive Kelly of Michigan, republican
 member of the naval committee,
 urged the expansion, as did Rep
 resentative Miller of Washington,
 another republican.
 cross fire of questions from re- publican representatives disclosed that the President had sent a message urg- ing the necessity of passing the bill. Representative Gillett of Massachu- setts asked if the message said that the failure of the bill would be fatal to my negotiations" and said he re- garded such language as Eliminating the United States had only one nego- tiator over there"
 That is not accurate answered Mir Padgett Pressed by Representative Rogers of Massachusetts, republican. who SEa6 if ha Mr. Padgett said he would have to be excused from answering as to the words that were or were not in the President cable, and added that he would mot affirm or deny any word in the cable gram
 Do you not think at a time like this that is so critical" insisted MT. Rogers. that the American Congress should be furnished with all the information in reference to a policy concerning the American people which the committee has, in order to enable it to make up it's mind?'
 "The critical time is not limited to here" responded MT. Padgett, 'it is also over there And it would not be proper for me to give the words that were used'
 IS REPLY TO DANIELS
 Questions by Representative Graham of Illinois. republican, disclosed that the cable was sent in answer to one sent to the President by Secretary Daniels tell ing of the situation in Congress and asking if the Presidents experiences abroad would lead him to change the recommendations for new building programme
 the ranking republican member of the naval committee. said he did not believe passage of the bill would help the situ- alton in Europe 'one bit"
 Whereupon, Representative Graham asked if the present situation was not similar to that when the President sent a message to Congress urging action op> the Panama canal tolls. MT. Butler said the same sort of injunction was put on the passage of that bill, put that as far as dollars and cents. this concerns more than that"
 In response to other questions, Mir. Butler said he did not believe the new ships would ever be built, and explained that he had voted for the programme in committee because he did not want to do or say anything that will em- barrass any of our people in their at tempt to make a peace that will settle down this world forever
 Representative Mann of Illinois, the republican leader, said he did not be- lieve MT. Padgett would be warranted in revealing the text of the message, but he asked about the report that the cable said the failure of authorizing the programme would be fatal to my ne- gotiations." MT. Padgett replied that all of the words were not used
 What the country wants to know" said MT. Mann, "is whether Congress is asked in the blind, without information, without negotiating, without laying the cards on the table, as has frequently been suggested by the President, to vote an immense naval programme when the Information which would influence Con gress is right here in Washington and the administration refuses to take Con- gress into it's confidence"
 HOUSE FULLY INFORMED
 Mfr Padgett protested that he had in- formed the House fully of the contents, but MT. Mann replied by saying that Mr. Padgett 'is not the adminstra ton. i"
 In urging the programme, Representa- tive Miller of Washington declared that in absence of an agreement for disa rma- nent, naval expansion was the only safe policy. He pointed out that many great American cities are on the seacoast and that the country's geography ''calls in herently for great navy
 Representative Huddleston defended Great Britain's policy of having the larg- est fleet, because of it's isolated posi- tion, and said America does not need such large navy because it is a self sustaining country.
 "Great Britain he declared. will new