Bisbee daily review., 1921-02-12
NAVY BILL HAS CLOSE ESCAPE
 DURING DEBATE
Dissatisfaction Over New Legislative Methods Is
 LoOsened In House BRITTEN OPENS FIRE G. O. P. Member Launches Battle Against Naval
 Appropriations

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-The naval appropriation bin ran through hostile waters in the house today but at the end was still afloat
 Shot at from all sides. it almost went down at times as members at tempted to riddle some of the provi- s,ons of the $595, ,00O. .O0O measure. One section, on the point of going out, was saved by Chairman Butler, of the nav. al affairs committee. who went to the front and rescued it. Opposition to the bill cropped out as result of the general dissatisfaction with the new method of framing appropriation leg islation.
 Heretofore. the naval bin has been drafted by the naval committee, but under the so-called budget system that committee holds it's hands while a subcommittee on appropria-.ons does the work
 Representative Britten. of Illinois, ranking Republican member of the na- val committee, threw most of the bombs. using always the argument that funds recommended by the fram- CTS of the measure were not authori- Eed by law. In this way many sec tions went out on points of order with indications that many more will go out, for only a little headway was made with the reading today.
 Hicks Plan Rejected
 Advocates, of economy and friends of disarmament jumped to their feet in all parts of the chamber to throw out an amendment by Representative Hicks, Republican of New York. of the naval committee, providing ST.5Oo,o for navy aircraft. In the end. they had their way, although 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, it being ruled out on a point of order as new legislation,
 In going after some sections, Brit ten hit upon an item of S5O00 TOT eS-' penses of the civilian naval consulting board, of which Thomas A. Edison has been one of the leading members since 1916. Chairman Kelly. of the subcommittee, in charge Of the bill, smilingly remarked that 1t was subject to point Of order. but Insisted 1t should stay because the country still was technically at war. Chairman But. Ter pleaded with Britten to let 1t stay and the latter finally withdrew his objection after announcing that in at tacking unauthorized provisions he has consistently demanded strict compli- ance with existing law.
 Pou For Big Navy
 There were many speeches for and against the biggest navy in the world. Representative Pou, Democrat of North Carolina. declared that while he had voted for big navy every year during his % 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 or destroy" he said. Right now. 90 per cent of all govern ment appropriations are for thR army and navy, and God help us if this thing is to continue. l see no hope for the future. The chairman of the military committee recently made startling statement which was calcu- lated to shock but which nevertheless is true. when he said America today was without a friend among the ns- tionS of the world. So shall con- tinue to vote for an unconQuerable navy-not a navy as great as the greatest, but navy that can defeat any under the sun"