Show HOUSE VOTES TO fORTifY BIG CANAL 1 f f Six Thousand American merican t i Soldiers Will Man Its Defenses ses W WASHINGTON Feb 27 After 27 After 11 t Z IH nearly five hours bours of debate the house t. t o of representatives late Into Saturday ni night ht ot voted d r o overwhelmingly helmin lr in favor or of forti L L the Panama canal and appropriated i to begin beJin tho the work the thet t total cost coat of which is estimated at 12 l The n action tion of the tho hou house e practically JJ tie ally settles the question of fortifications dons for the tho sentiment in the senate is said haid fo to be moro more than two to to one in favor fa fa- fa vor or of prot protecting the isthmian water water- 4 i way a a The real test came camo on an amendment proposed by Representative Tawney of Minnesota chairman of tho the committee on appropriations The Tho amendment provided pro vided that no part of tho money set aside asido for fortifications should be used until tho president had attempted to tone ne negotiate treaties with all of the tho leading leading lead lead- in ing maritime nations guaranteeing the neutrality and international protection of the cana canal Re Representative Shirley of Kentucky attacked this amendment and warn warned a members that it had been introduced I for the solo purpose of defeating tho appropriations Amendments Voted Down The Tawney amendment then was voted ot d down by to 63 A A motion b by Representative Keifer of Ohio to strike out all provision for the fortification fortification fortification forti forti- of of the tho canal was lost Jost by a vote ote of to 51 The real interest in in tho the debate seemed to center in the Tawney amendment amendment amend amend- ment and the speeches made for and a against it by Mr r. r Tawne Tawney and Mr S erley Mr Ta Tawney a stalwart Republican Republican Re Re- publican looked to the Democratic side lor Sor sympathy and applause and received re received re- re both Mr MT Sheri Sherly one of the Democratic leaders of t the o house was accorded an ovation by the Republican members When it came to voting the Republicans Republicans Heans generally supported support the tho fortification tion of the canal and the tho Democrats opposed it The Tho defection of about twenty tT Republicans Republicans Re Re- publicans from the general policy of fortification was t offset by a similar defection on the Democratic side in favor favor fa fa- fa- fa vor vor of fortifications e I Reserved for tor the Last Las i The fortification of the canal was t provided for in in in the sundry civil bill but ut was considered in the in the tho house practically practically tic as za a a. separate measure and after all of the other features feature of the sundry sun dry civil bill had been di disposed of Representative Walter I. I Smith of I Iowa led off the debate in favor of fortification and was followed by Rop Rep Keifer who led the forces opposed to the tho provision pro No less than twenty members spoke from five to twenty minutes Mr Smith w was s generally regarded as representing the administration ration in the fight tight for forti fortification cation He cited the various treaties on the subject of a an canalI canal n I UI am here to insist that we wo havethe have havethe havethe the ri right ht to fortify the canal he eaid r II that that it is more mono moro than a right that Sn in n fact wo we wo have contracted to pre preserve ervo its neutrality and to protect it against blo blockade This makes it tho the solemn duty of this people to fortify tho the entrance entrance en en- trance to the canal as securely as an any of the ports of the tho country f Point Foint of ot Order Overruled When General Keifer had concluded his speech a against fortification r h he e made madea a 8 point of order against the tho tion for fortification declaring it was not justified by existing law Jaw Representative Mann fann of Illinois was in in the chair and overruled the point Mr Mann said that as far as treaty obligations were concern concerned d the United Unite States clearly had bad the right right- to police and protect the canal in in any wa way it saw fit Several Democrats who spoke and voted against the fortification said f the they were vere in favor of fortifying g the canal after it was completed but birt they did not think that the work had bad 1 progressed pro pro- pressed gressed far enough to do so at this I time After After the Tawney Tawne amendment and tho the Keifer motion mohon to strike out II had ad been defeated another motion was made to recommit the bill with tons to o the committee to omit tho the fortification for for- I of of a canal On a yea rca and nay nt vote this moh was defeated s Lo to 0 81 61 |