The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1922-04-28
HARDING WINS
$4,000 Navy
Committees Plan to Reduce Per-
sonnet Defeated by Presidents
Plea for Equality of Sea.
VOTE WAS 1T TO 1870
Shows His Strength With Lawmakers.
Additional Cost of Organization Is
Estimated as High as $50, ,o00,-
00o-Experts Criticized.

Washington.-By a vote of 1T to
ceded to President Harding's appeal
that the personnel of the navy be not
cut below what he regarded as the
minimum of national safety. AS it
stands with the adoption of the Ware
amendent increasing the number of
men, and the Macarthur amendment
appropriating the money, the bill now
provides for $4,000 men.
One hundred and thirty members
voted against the President, ignoring
his argument that the 81 900 men as
proposed in the bill reported by Chair
man Kelley would reduce the Ameri
can ratio far below the 5-5-3 fixed
by the arms conference for the United
States, Great Britain and Japan.
Although the senate is not on record
on the navy personnel question, it. is
generally believed it will favor the
$4,000 provision.
The vote Is regarded as the most
sweeping victory President Harding
has obtained in his efforts to modi-
fy legislation since he came into the
White House. 1t was very apparent,
according to many shrewd house lead
ers, that at the beginning of the week
the committee cut to $1,000 men was
supported by majority in the house.
The urgent appeals, first of Secretary
Of the Navy DENLY and later by Sec
retary of State Hughes, had not
stemmed the tide of economy.
Most of the fire of the "small navy
men" was not concentrated on Presi-
dent Harding's idea of maintaining
the agreed ratio of American sea pow
er, but on the accuracy of Navy De-
partment estimates In general.
Most OF the speakers on that side
took the position that the so-called
naval experts had been proved wrong
by the house on so many occasions
that it was a waste of time to pay
much attention to them. Chairman
Madden of the Appropriations Com
rrittee almost capsized the adminisrra
tion cause by an illustration of how
the Navy Department had demanded
S12,50dO00 for fuel, claiming that the
ships would be tied up at the docks
If they did not get it, and some time
after the house had pared the appro-
priatlon down to $6,2S3,OO0 admitted
that the department had made mis-
take IN it's calculations, and should
only h,tve asked for $7,700,00O.
Underlying most of the attack by
tine little navy men was the idea that
the real purpose of the Navy Depart
ment and the men from the coast
states was to maintain the navy yards
and keep large numbers Of enlisted
nien in them. 1t was also charged
freely that the Navy Department want
ed to keep more men on the ships than
the British navy had kept on similar
ships during the war.
The division of the house On the
vote split the Republican and Demo-
cratic sides almost equally. After
viva voice VOTE in which the yeas and
nays were almost equal in volume, Mr..
Ware asked for teller's count, and
he and Mr.. Kelley stood at the head
of the center aisle and counted the
members as they passed between them.
The result was greeted with noisy
demonstration by the big navy men.
who stood and cheered for several min
utes. Representatives Macarthur, OAR
row of Pennsylvania and Gallivan Of
Massachusetts, with linked arms,
formed the dancing center Of a joyful
demonstration.
Mr.. Kelley announced that he will
seek a roll call on the amendment
when the measure is taken out Of the
committee of the whole and comes up
for final action by the house.
Estimates of the money increase
called for by raising the size Of the
navy to $4,000 range from $45,OO0,OO0
to s6O,OO0,0O0.
Mr.. Kelley took the floor at 5: 20 to
open the last speech On the measure
before the vote on the size of the en-
listed personnel.