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Show LITTLE OPPISITP ' TO THl BILL Discussion in Senate Leads to Belief Measure Will Soon Be Passed. WASHINGTON, July 13. The senate today began discussion of the $315,000,000 naval bill, the largest naval appropriation measure by many millions in the nation's na-tion's history and bearing increases of nearly $r0,000,000 over its total as it passed the house.. Senate leaders emphasized empha-sized their Intention of expediting its consideration and little opposition was aroused to the' committee amendments presented. An Indication that the senate Is in sympathy with the liberal increases written writ-ten into the bill by the senate naval committee was seen in the approval without with-out opposition of a section increasing the enlisted strength of the navy from the present 54,000 to GS.700 men and 6000 apprentice-seamen. The house bill 'provided 'pro-vided for an Increase to only 61,000 men. When the personnel section was reached, Senator Norrig asked for an explanation ex-planation of its purpose. Senator Swan-eon. Swan-eon. In charge of the measure, replied that the section as drafted followed the recommendations of the navy general board and would give only a sufficient personnel to man the best battleships and cruisers now in commission and a 50 per cent complement for vessels in reserve. re-serve. Senator Lodge, ranking Republican Republi-can member of the naval committee, also declared Ihe Increase Imperative. That there would be no partisan opposition oppo-sition to the bill was apparent from the beginning of the debate, and leaders regarded re-garded the progress made on the first day's consideration as highly encouraging. encourag-ing. The building programme probably will be reached within a few days, and while it will develop the only serious opposition op-position the measure is expected to meet, champions of the bill believe the authorization author-ization for 1917 including four dreadnoughts dread-noughts and four battle cruisers, together with the three-year construction policy, will be approved. A long fight Is expected ex-pected In conference, the house bill having hav-ing provided for only five capital ships. The only committee recommendation which met determined opposition today was one providing for a commission to report on the advisability of establishing at least one more naval academy. After long debate, In which Senator Weeks led the opposition to the proposal and Senator Phelan and others defended it, the senate sen-ate sustained the committee. 32 to 27. "We have as much need of another naval academy as we have of another capltol." declared Senator Weeks. "With the exception of dormitory room, we have all the equipment necessary for many more students at Annapolis. It would he a waste of government money to establish es-tablish another academy." Mr. Phelan argued that the growing importance of the west generally and of the Pacific waters, particularly from a naval standpoint, made the establishment of a west coast academy desirable. |