New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-13
Bill for $4,000
Navy Runs Into
Snag i'm House
Opposition Claims Stuff.
cient Votes Pledged to
Defeat 1t; Test May Be
Reached During To-day
Absent Members Called
Backcrs Of 10000 Figure
Are Accused Of Seeking
Purely Local Benefits

" WASHINGTON, April l2.-Thc 1929
naval budget ran through hostile
waters in the House to-day. As the
weary end of eight hours of debate WAS
reached tonight, with less than cor
porafs guard on the floor, the air wa.
hiled with claims by leaders opposed to
the bllPs provision for an enlisted
force Of $4,000 that votes enough had
been pledged to beat it.
This prediction, coupled with violent
attacks on the measure, took the edge
on Chairman Kclleys smile and once
or twice he put on his fighting clothes.
llme and again the chairman broadly
charged that back of the movement for
Digger navy was the desire Of mem
oers from navy yard districts to in
crease the total appropriation so that
the activities Of these establishments.
might not be curtaiIed
Stands on $1,000 Figure
Suggestions from some sources that
inc committee add little to its ner
sonnet strength were cast aside nv
Chairman Kelley with the declaration
that the bill had to stand or fall as
reported, and that if the emil sted fcure
was raised to $4,000 there would be
record vote in the House.
Most Of the speeches TODAY were
against the bill. Representative Me-
Arthur, of Oregon, Republican member
or the Naval Committee. in announcing
that he would offer an amendment nro,
viding for $4,000 men, told the House
1t ought not shift the responsibijitv of
writing the bill to the shoulders of the
Senate VI ''e
Face the issue squarely here and
dcnt pass it along to the Senate to
give the navy enough men to maintain
the treaty ratio" he declared
mere was constant squabble over
the enlisted strength of the British and
japanese navies, the statement being
repeatedly made and denied that their
ngures were greater than those al
lotted the American navy under the
OIL. representative Rogers, Republi-
can OF Massachusetts,. intimated that
the committee had obtained it's esti-
mates from the British Embassy here
Asked by Mr.. Rogers if he had been
IN direct personal contact with the
British and Japanese embassies. :"
Chairman Kelley said he would refuse
to answer any such question.
May Reach Vote To-day
The measure will be taken up to-.
morrow for consideration item by item.
and if there is smooth sailing and not
too much five-minute debate a vote on
amendment to the personnel section
may be reached late in the day. The
first vote will be on the proposal to
make the total $4,000, unless some
body steps in with move to split the
difference between that total and the
committee figure of $4,000.
Mr.. Macarthur said tonight 1914
members had given a pledge to sup
port his amendment. Kilograms have
been sent, it was said, to members
from Eastern states absent from Wash
ington to return at once in anticipa-
ton of an early vote Representative
Ware, Republican. of Pennsylvania,
who signed the minority report, is try,
ing to arrange a meeting early to-mor-
row of the Pennsylvania delegation in
the hope Of obtaining a solid state vote
for the increase.