The Washington times., 1929-02-05
Bull DING
To START
At ONCE
ny WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON
international News service

With a time limitation already
adopted against the wishes of
President Coolidge, the Senate
today was prepared to enact the
Administrations new cruiser bill
without pacifist amendments,
The battle of the little Navy ad-
vocates to prevent the immediate
initiation of construction work upon
five of the Is cruisers authorized
by the bill. met defeat when the
Senate rejected the Harrison
amendment, giving the President
authority to postpone building until
January /. 1882 The vote was %
to 54, a. surprising rejection OF
Presidential advice.
In its present form. the bill
directs that work start on five new
cruisers this year. five more next
year and on the final five in 1881.
A giant aircraft carrier must be
started before June 30. 1880.
Big Majority for Bill
The bill will he enacted by the
Senate this afternoon by an over
whelming vote. A poll by lnterna-
tional News Service indicated 70
Senators supporting 1t, with prob
ably not more than dozen opposed.
A dozen amendments. however,
must be disposed of before a final
vote Is reached.
The amendment pending this
morning, was proposed by Senator
Reed D) of Missouri.
It would assert that Congress
favors a treaty. or treaties, With
all the principal maritime nations.
regulating the conduct of bellig-.
ererits and neutrals in war at sea,
Including the inviolability of private
propertv thereon, and embracing as
nearly as practicable the principles
set forth in Article II of the Treaty
of 1885 negotiated between the
United States and Prussia, in which
negotiations Benjamin Franklin,
Thomas jefferson and John Adams
represented the United States"
Reed Amendment Up
Reed offered as a substitute for
a plan proposed by Senator Boran
RJ of Idaho, for the "recodifica-
tfon' of maritime laws, regarding
the rights of neutrals. Reed pro
posed that the recodification be
made effective through treaties. 1t
was likely the Senate would agree
to this plan, as it Will nave no
effect on the cruiser program.
Other amendments pending In
cluded:
Ry senator King CD of Utah, re-
ducing the building program TO five
cruisers and one carrier at 'ower
cost coupled with a. request TO the
president to summon a new world
disarmament conference prior TO
January l, 1880.
Rv senator BrookhArt (R0 of Iowa,
proyiding that all the cruisers sian
be built in Government navy yards
lthe bin now divides the work
equally between Government and
private yards)
By Senator Norris R9 OF
Nebraska, requesting the President
to call an Anglo-American dis
armament conference for the. re-
auction Of British and American
navies.
Firing Line for Rich
Bv Brookhart, reducing the con.
struction program to ten cruisers.
nv Brookhart, abandoning the
cruiser program and diverting the
273,000 900 appropriation to the
building OF roads and bridges
throughout the country.
BY Senator McMaster (R) of South
Dakota, drafting all members III
Congress under 55l and all men
under 55. having $5,OO0,000 "a
serve in the zone of actual hostl'
tiles" in the next war.
The Norris proposal, If all these
alone appeared to have chance oi
adoption. The remainder will meet
the fate of the attack on the time
clause.
In overriding the Presidents
wishes, the Senate swept 26 Re-
publicans into opposing Coolidge On
the time clause. They included
such usually "stand-pat'' administra
tion leaders as Senators Fess (R
OF Ohio, often called the President :
spokesman" in the Senate; Sena
tor watson, of Indiana, who viii
be Republican floor leader. in the
next Senate, and Senators Reed (Ra
of Pennsylvania, Bingham (R) 81
Connecticut, and Edge (Rl of New
Jersey, who have frequently spoken
for the administration
Senator Curtis of Kansas, the Re
publican floor leader; Senator Jones
of Washington the Republican
whip, and Borah led the administra
tion group. which numbered but
16 Republicans and included five
Insurgents There were IL Demo
Gratis voting with Coolidge
Benevolent Protective Order OF Elks