The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-01-14
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Senate Ready to Exclude
MIR. Smith of Illinois
Navy Controversy.
BY EDWARD w. PlckARD.

BY EDWARD w. PIckARDs
FRANK L. SMITH, senator-designate
from Illinois, will not be permit
ted to take his seat in the United
States senate IL the plan agreed upon
by apparently great majority of the
senators is carried out. When and If
he presents his credentials. they are
to be referred to the committee on
privileges and elections, and whatever
may be the report of that committee
on his qualifications. it seems certain
that he will be excluded on the ground
that he Is disqualified for an Office Of
public trust by his acceptance of
money from the public utility mag
mates. whose properties were subject
to the regulation Of the Illinois com
merce commission, of which he at the
time was chairman.
This program was adopted after the
senate had heard a long speech from
Mcclellan of Tennessee, Democrat.
vehemently demanding the exclusion
of Smith. Borah, Deneen and some
others indicated an intention OF con-
-'tendihg that Smith should be permit
ted to take the oath pending the in
vestigation of his qualifications. This
would permit him to defend himself
before the senate. and it was said he
was prepared to do this partly by.
. telling the sources of Republican cam
paign funds in 1924 and arguing that
he is no more disqualified for public
Office than is President Coolidge
~ CONGRESSIONAL advocates of q
~ bigger navy continued their efforts
toward that end during the week, but
the President stood so firmly on his
platform Of economy that their ulti
mate defeat was predicted. They
thought Mr.. Coolidge had been forced
to modify his program when Repre-
sentative Tilson, Republican flooi
leader. introduced an amendment tt'
the pending naval supply bill for an
appropriation for the construction of
the three unbuflt light cruisers author
ized In 1924. But the President inn
mediately wrote a letter to Repre-
sentative French declaring that his
attitude advising against any con-
struction other than the completion
of. the five 1924 cruisers now under
way, pending the outcome of negotia-
tions for another limitation of arma-
ment conference, remains unchanged.
Representative Britten of Illinois, who
had introduced an amendment for the
elevation of turret guns on II battle
ships, thought the President was too
optimistic about that conference.
Another amendment, providing for the
construction of new dirigible. was
adopted.
OF almost equal Importance in the
matter of national defense was the
Inquiry into the general state of the
army begun by the house military af-
fairs committee. Among the first wit
nesses heard were Secretary Of War
Davis and Mai. Gen. Fox Conner, dep
uty chief of staff. They told the COM
mittee that the budget bureaus cuts
in the appropriations asked by the
wal uCpdTJAuCut saWOuIu uSCcS-
sary reduction Of 4,99S in the army
personnel, which already is 5000 be-
low the average strength of the last
four years.
In the senate the demands of the
''big navy" men were voiced by Sena-
tor Johnson of California, who de-
clared it the Eeighth OF folly to Grip
pie our first line of defense at a time
when our war creditors are hating us
and all the world is envying our pros
perity. Senator Hale of Maine, chair
man of the naval affairs committee
and an administration supporter In
most things, followed with speech in
favor of building the American navy
in all classes Of ships up to the $50
ratio established by the Washington
conference.
yxTETS in both the senate and the
wv house opened up vigorous at
tack on the policy Of the federal gov
eminent which permits the use Of
deadly poisons in the denaturing of al
cohol as part Of the enforcement Of
the prohibition law They had long
list Of deaths laid to the drinking Of