Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-17
Group Favoring $1,000
Personnel Is Routed
1T to 100
Believed Letter from President
Urging Larger Force Swings
Tide in Favor Of Amendment
Carried-Leader of Defeated
Forces Smiles When Adverse
Vote is Recorded

Washington, April !0-With nearly
50 votes to spare, Big Navy" men
put through the House today by a
vote Of III to 100, an amendment to
the 1923 naval bill increasing the en-
listed force from $1,000 to $4,000.
Shot at from all sides. the bill as
framed by the appropriations commit
tee and opposed by President Hard
ing, wabbled at times like frail craft
then went down oy the head. There
are other sections, of course, to be
| taken up next week, but the big fight
was on the enlisted force provision.
The vote today was in committee of
the whole. When the measure reaches
the House proper demand will be in
order for a record vote, but the wide
margin by which the amendment won,
means according to most leaders, that
the result will stand.
Some administration leaders said
tonight that the letter presented YES
terday from the President urging that
the force be not reduced below $4,000
swung the tide in favor of the amend
ment which was offered jointly by
and Representative Ware, Pennsylva-
mia. both Republicans.
Fighting to the last, holding his
grounds through four solid hours of
debate, Representative Kelley of
Michigan, in charge OF the bill took
the defeat with a smile when a roar.
rising and growing, swept the cham
Der as the march of members down
the aisle for man to man count
showed that the amendment had won.
! When the moment came for a vote
I on the $4,000 amendment the question
was put and there was loud shout
or ayes and an even louder shout of
noes. No presiding officer could have
decided which side was stronger in
numbers. SO great was the below of
the Noes" that Representative Ware
on the winning side. jumped to his
leet with demand for a rising vote.
Before this could he called, the whole
, House shouted for tellers and in a
moment members We're damned at the
head of the center aisle waiting for a
4, chance to crowd through and be
counted.
Every seat filled, the galleries
! Joined in the tumult. Guards who
had kept the crowds i'm order during
the day, let them shout as they
| pleased.
Just before the vote was an
nounced the House halted a moment
| to permit Representative Mansfield
/ Democrat, Texas. who has leen i'll. to
| be counted without the ordeal of go
ing down the aisle in the wheel chair
in which he has been attending
! House sessions.
| Repre- sentative Kelley. as chair
man of the subcommittee which
/ framed the bill with its provisions
| for navy with an enlisted strength
| of $1,000 men had the last word in
the long debate. AS the gavel tapped
| the warning that his time was up
the chairman. swinging away from
| the point. namely, that the demand
| for the increase came from navy
! yard sections, exclaimed:
Let me say this: We must not
| permit any group of individuals or
| any IOlIl DlilitlOlI ol IOtdIltlcS 10
throw themselves across the path OF
the world in the goal of world pro-
gress and peace as set by the arma-
ment conference"
| Breaking into the details toward
| the close, Chairman Madden of the
| appropriations committee asserted
| the amendment as adopted would
add SOS, 600 600 in one lump sum to
total of $233,0OO,0 900 carried in the
! bill.
Representatives Padgett of Ten
nessee, the former Democratic chair
man of the naval affairs committee
which formerly prepared the naval
| bills, made one of the principal ar
! suments for the increase, saying the
| efficiency of the navy could not be
| maintained without it. The move
ment for the increase on the Repub-
| lican side was in the hands of Mr..
| Macarthur, Mr.. Ware and Mr.. Rogers
| of Massachusetts.
| After adopting the Ware amend
ment. the House without division
adopted one offered by Representa-
/ tive Macarthur increasing from 500,
00O, 900 to S107. 100000 the amount
carried for. pay of officers and enlist
ed men in the next fiscal year.
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