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Show 'SENATE AUTHORIZES THREE BAHLESHIPS Administration Naval Appropriation Appro-priation Bill Goes Through After a Shaip Debate. WASHINGTON, June The senat late today passed the annual naval appropriation appro-priation bill, carrying about :? 141.000,000. providing r'or the administration two-battleship construction programme and authorizing au-thorizing in addition the luiildinsv of a third modern dreadnought with money to be derived from the sale of the battleships battle-ships Idaho and Mississippi. The measure now goes to conference between the two houses. At the last moment mo-ment an amendment was added to create a special committee to report on the location lo-cation and cost of a government armor plate factory. A similar provision in the measure as it passed ihe1 house had been eliminated by the senate committee. The clause in the bill directing the building of one of the new battleships at a gov er n ment n a vy y a rd Fed to a pro -longed discussion. Advocates of governmental construction . contended the secretary of true navy was handicapped by a system ot" accounting which required him to charge to construction construc-tion large sums trtat should be charged to maintenance of yards. Finally an amendment offered by Senator Blair Lee was adopted authorizing the secretary to deduot such items as in his judgment should be charged to' the maintenance of plants. Senator Vardaman sought to amend the bill so as to appropriate for only one new battleship; Senator Thomas wanted none, and Senator Brandegee contender! for three. All these amendments were defeated. de-feated. Senator ardaman declared' there should !be more of the golden rule and lctis of the "damnable rule of war." "Does not the senator believe "we ought to prepare for war if this country is ;o-ing ;o-ing to invade another merely because a usurper in that country refuses to salute the flag?" inquired Senator Works. "I am not informed of the motives of the present administration in entering Mexico," responded Senator Vardaman. "but I am about coming to the conclusion conclu-sion that it would be infinitely better for the American people to attend to their business and let other nations attend to theirs. I am tired of the United' States doing police duty." An amendment by Senator Gore was adopted appropriating $150,000 for fuel oil storage at some point accessible to the Texas and Oklahoma oil fields. ' Senator Ta Follette's amendment offering to any informant 10 per cent of any fine collected for conspiracy to defraud the government ; in furnishing war materials, and one of- ; fered by Senator Kenyon to authorize the president to call an international confer- j ence in Washington in the autumn to consider con-sider an agreement to suspend battleship construction were voted down. |