The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-12
NAVAL BILL RUNS
 INTO HOSTILE SEA Is Shot at From All Sides, But Remains AfIoat at End of
 Bombardment
By Associated Press

Washington, February 1l.--The naval appropriation bill ran through hostile waters in the House today, but at the end was still aiToa,.
 Shot at from all sides, it almost went down at times, as members attempted to riddle some of the provisions of the S39o, 900 600 measure. One section, on the man Butler of the naval affairs com mttee. who went to the front and res cued it.
 Opposition to the bill cropped out as q result of the general dissatisfaction with the new method of framing appropria- tion legislation. Heretofore the naval Hill has been drafted by the naval com mittee. but under the so-called budget system that committee holds it's hands while subcommittee on appropriations does the work.
 Representative Britten of Illinois, rank ing republican member of the naval committee. threw most of the bombs, us- ing always the argument that funds recommended by the framers of the measure were not authorized by law. In this way many sections went out on points of order, with indications thai many more will go out, tor only little headway was made with the reading to- day
 Advocates of economy and friends of disarmament jumped to their feet in all parts of the chamber to throw out aE amendment by Representative Hicks, re- publican, New York, of the naval com mittee providing S,500Oo0 for navy air. craft. In the end. they had their way, although Mir Hicks pleaded hard and earnestly for sufficient funds to build up the air branch of the sea service. There was no vote on the amendment, lt being ruled out on a point of order as new legislation.
 WANTS LAW COMPLIANCE
 Tn going after some sections. MT Brit ten hit upon an item of $5.0o0 for ex- penses of the civilian naval consulting board, of which Thomas A, Edison has been one of the leading members since 1916 Chairman Kelley of the subcom- mittee, in charge of the bill, smillngly remarked that it was subject to point of or der. but insisted it should stay be- cause the country still was technically at war Chairman Butler pleaded with MT. Britten to let it stay and the lat ter finally withdrew his objection after announcing that in attacking unauthor- ized provisions he was consistently de- n,anding strict compliance with existing law.
 Mir. Britten failed to upset an appro- priation of sS4S.0o0 for temporary govern- ment in the Virgin Islands.
 There were many speeches for and against the biggest navy in the world. Representative Pou. dmocrat, North Car olina. dclared that while he had voted for big navy every year during his H years of service, he had hoped the time might come when he could cease giving such support
 "A battleship is of no earthly value except to kill orr destroy" he said. Right now. 90 per cent of all govern ment appropriations are for the army and navy, and God help us if this thing is to continue l see no hope for the fu- ture. The chairman of the military com mittee recently made a startling state ment. which was calculated to shock but which nevertheless Is true, when he said America today was without friend among the nations of the world So' shall continue to vote for an uncon- querable navy-not navy as great as the greatest but navy that can de- feat any under the sun"