Evening star., 1928-05-27
THOMAS S. BUTLER
DIES At AGE Of z
Chairman of Naval Commit
tee Was Dean of Lower
House.

Representative Thomas S. Butler of
Pennsylvania. chairman of the House
committee on naval affairs and oldest
members of the House in point of con-
tinuouS service, died at $50 o'clock last
night in his aparament in the Burling-
ton Hotel He suffered a heart attack
more than month ago from which he
fafiled to recover. He was 72 years old.
With Mr.. Butler when he died were
all the members of his family, except
one son, Brig. Gen. Smedley Butler,
U. S. NJ. c.. now in command Of the
Marine Corps forces in China. Mrs.
Butler and his two other sons had been
caring for him since he was stricken.
Mr.. Butler was serving his sixteenth
continuous term and his thirty-flrst
year in the House from the eighth
Pennsylvania congressional district
His home was in West Chester, Pa.
Active on Navy Bill.
The death off Tom" Butler, as he
was known to his intimates, removes
from the House its oldest Representa-
tive in point of continuous service and
also one Of its most picturesque men,
bers.
Up until the hour when he was
stricken by an attack of acute heart
trouble about month ago he was as in
terested and active In the proceedings
of Congress and the Government as
whole as any person at the Capitol.
AS chairman of the House naval
committee. Mr.. Butler took an active
part this session in whipping into shape
the new warship construction program
and led the fight in the House which
resulted In that body approving the pro-
gram by an overwhelming vote.
Remembered SaiIboat Days.
His life in Congress was wrapped up
In the work of this committee, For all
Of his 81 years In the House he was one
Of its members and frequently he took
pleasure in telling the story Of how,
when he first became interested In
naval problems. some Of the smaller
warcraft still were using sails to SUBJ
plement steam power.
He was a positive factor in the un-
usual naval development that was ush-
cred in with the twentieth century and
which marked the rapid changes in
types of warcraft from the white
feet" OF Spanish American War days
TO the battleship, the dreadnaught, the
uperdreadnaught. the submarine. and
in recent years, the aircraft carrier.
Butler was a member Of the Quaker
faith. but this did not prevent him from
voting for American entrance into the
World War. He plunged whole hearted
iy IN the naval expansion under the
Wilson administration and after peace
had been restored held firmly TO the
I belief that the United States Navy
should be second 10 none.
Favored 5--5--3 Ratio.
While he was not a member OF the
American delegation al the Washington
Naval Limitation Conference he fol-
lowed the proceedings closely, and in
the last years Of his life devoted his ef-
forts 70 maintain the American fleet
up 10 the 5-~5--3 ratio established by
that conference
Several times he said that the re-
suits OF that conference arose from the
fact that the United States had thou
sands Of tons Of modern ships 10 scrap,
and when the Geneva naval parley OF
last Summer first was proposed he pre-
dicted IL would result in failure for the
reason that this time the United States
h but little 10 offer In the way OF re-
ducing its fleet.
When the Navy Department early
kdAb ran p9c@tHptu lts pan IoI LIt
| construction u IS cruisers, aircraft
| carriers, 8 destroyer leaders and 80
/ submarines. Butler Immediately be-
came skeptlcal Of the adyisabiIity Of It's
/ enactment He argued and eventually
won his committee and later the House
/ 70 the belief that the United States. 10
| be consistent. could no authorize q
/ program that would exceed the original
| proposal submitted ~ the Geneva con-
/ ference
Despite his years and his difficulty In
hearing. he finally put through the
! House his own WeWa-a program sim
liar 10 that presented at Geneva and
proposing the construction OF II
cruisers and aircraft carrier, He per
sOnally TOOK the floor In behalf OF his
blIi VI carry out the program, placing
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