Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1921-05-27
NAVAL BASE WILL
NOT Be ERECTED
ALAMEDA PROVISION is CUT
FROM APPROPRIATION BILL
AFTER LONG STRUGGLE
Senator King and Borah Win Fight
After Long Struggle; Mare Island
Navy Yard Will Be Kept in
Tact AS Coast Defender

Nnen the senate Monthly aIleTHOOD
by vote of 40 to 30 rejected a pro
vision In the naval bill establishing a
new base in the San Francisco bay az
Alameda, II paid trbue to Senator
Kings ability as a debater and rea
guardian of the treasury. In the long
drawn-out fight, which began last SEES
sion, Senator King had as his chlel
lieutenant Senator Borah.
Senator Kings fight, which ended
VIGOROUSLY today, was begun last SEES
sion when the naval bill was brought
up. His attention then had been call
Jed to the Alameda question, and he
demanded that the item be laid aside
while he could go into its merits. Thii
he did most thoroughly with the re
suit that he and Senator Borah, large
ly on account of this one item, forcec
the defeat of the naval bill on the All
of March, and made necessary rein
production this session.
Senator King went to pains to ge,
at the bottom facts, and when he wa.
fully informed he explained the situa
ton to Senator Borah, who joined wifi
him in determined attack upon the
Alameda project. When Senator Kins
and Senator Borah this session ex
posed the entire affair, nineteen Re
publican senator's, including some
large navy advocates, Joined them ir
striking the provision from the bill.
The Alameda provision had an in
nocent appearance. 1t called for tn,
appropriation OF only $1,500,00O fol
the establishment Of naval supply
base. II II had been adopted, the gov
eminent would have been committed t.
the expenditure of something like $3.50,
100000 at Alameda, and the scrappinl
Of the Mare Island navy yard, which
has cost the government S4O,OOO,O0O
Aside from the great expense involved
the Mare Island navy yard, as Senator
King showed from official reports, II
the most efficient shore establishment
maintained by the government.
To begin with, Senator King divulg
ed the fact that the Alameda site was
really n quicksand fiat covered wit.
an average of about twelve feet Of
water. Although borIngs TO the deptl
Of $50 feet have been made, no sole
foundation had been found. With ;
solid foundation the cost of filling II
the fiat would have been $4,000 pei
acre. The navy departments plan
Senator King showed, called for ovel
5000 acres, and as a result the gov
eminent would have expended a
least 100000 in securing ground n
the site upon which to erect its build
ings.
In contendng that there was no rea
son for the establishment of another
base on San Francisco bay, Senator
King submitted official reports to show
that with an expenditure of SS,000OOt
or $10,000,000 the entire needs of the
new Pacific fleet could be provided fol-
at the lower end of Mare Island. The
senator simply overwhelmed senators
with information from an offlcia
| source to sustain his position in the
| controversy. Even Senator McCorm
| lex of Illinois, who had origally pro
| posed the resolution by which another
| base was to have been selected fol
San Francisco bay, joined Senator
| King in protesting against the passage
of the Alameda provision.