Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-16
Strength
Placed at
10000 Men
Amendment to 1923 Bill In.
ereasing Enlisted Force From
$1,000 Adopted by Vote
of III 10 l3O.
Opponents Fight to Last


Washington, April lS..-With near
ly 80 votes TO spare big navy" men
put through the house today. by
vote OF ~ 10 $50. All amendment
10 the 1928 naval bill increasing the
enlisted force from $1,000 10 $4,000.
Shot a, from all sides the bill as
framed by the appropriations com-
mittec and opposed by President
Harding. wabbled a, times like a
irail crait-then went down by the
the head. There are other sections.
OF course. 10 ne taken mp next week.
but the big fight was on the en-
listed provision. Hr
The vote was in committee OF the
whole. When the measure reaches
the house proper demand will he
in order for a record vote, but the
wide margin by which the amend
mcnt won means. according 10 most
leaders. that the result will stand
Letter Changes Tide.
Some administration leaders as
serted that the letter presented yes
torday from the president urging
that the force be not reduced be-
low 10000 swung the tide in. favor
OF the amendment which was Of
fered jointly by Representative Nc.
Arthur Oregon. and Representative
Ware. Pennsylvania, both repub-
licans.
Fighting TO the last, holding his
ground 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
chamber 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
OH the 10000 amendment the ques-
ton was put and there was loud
shout OF 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 Repre-.
sentative Ware, on the winning side,
jumped to his feet with a demand
for rising vote. Before this could
be called, the whole house shouted
ior tellcrs and in moment men,
bers were panmed at the head Of the
center aisle waiting for chance
to crowd through and be counted.
Galleries Join Tumult.
Every seat filled, the galleries
joined in the tumult. Guards who
had kept the crowds in order during
the day, let them shout as they
pleased.
Representative Kelley, as chairman
OF the subcommittee which framed
tn; bill with its provisions for navy
with an enlisted strength of 67,OOO
men-less than navy under the
arms conference treaty should have,
opponents claimed--had the last
word in the long debate. Half OF
the house stood as he started to
speak. AS the gavel tapped the
warning that his time was up, the
Chairman, swinging away from the
point he was seeking to drive home,
namely, that the demand for the in
crease came from navy yard Sec
tlons, exclaimed
Let me say this; we must not
permit any group of individuals or
any combination OF localities to
throw themselves across the path of
the world in the goal of world pro-
gress and peace as set by the arm
ament conference.
Madden Sounds Warning.
Breaking into the debate towards
the close, Chairman Madden Of the
appropriations committee, said he
wanted to warn republicans that il
the right verdict did not come to-
day, it would come in November,
when they would be forced to ex-
plain why they had faileds to bring
about economy, one of the objects
to be obtained by the arms confer
ence. Mr.. Madden asserted the
amendment, as adopted, would add
$6O,OO0,000 in one lump sum to the
total of $233,00O,00O carried in the
BILL
After adopting the Ware amend-
ment the house. without division,
adopted one offered by Representa-
tive Macarthur, increasing from
$93,000,000 to $l07, 100000 the
amount carried for pay of officers
and enlisted men in the next fiscal
wear