The Weather Today FAIR The News and Observe*:, VOL. LI. NO. 107. Leads all N orth Carolina Dailies in Mews and Circulation IF WE ARE 10 BE A GREAT WAR POWER Compulsory Military Service is Necessary. SO DECLARES MR. HALE Takes Strong Grounds Against Oirga* nizing a Naval Reserve. AROUSES THE SENATE TO EXCITEMENT The Pension Appropriation Bill P asscd by the House, bint R solution Passed Appro priating $90,000 for Expenses of Exposition at Charleston.. (By the Associated Press.) Washington, Jan. 15. —A spirited dis cussion was precipitated in the Senate today by some remarks submitted by Mr. Hale, of Maine, in respect to bills relating to the formation of a naval re serve which he introduced. He took strong ground against the organization of a naval reserve, his comments being const!ucd by some of the Senators into a reflection upon volunteer soldiers and land militia. Half a dozen Senators were on their feet in an instant to defend the volun teers and the National Guard of the various States and the debate was also given a wide nfnge, as the Senators went back in their references to the days of the Revolutionary War to seek illus trations for their arguments. While no action was possible at this time, if is likely the discussion upon the measutes, should they be reporfed. will be lively. No business of special importance was transacted, the time of the Senate being consumed by matters of routine. Mr Hoar, in presenting a petition from railroad, insurance and shipping interests praying for the construction of light houses in some dangerous places where lightships are located now, said thut a proposition had been made by a responsible and intelligent builder to construct lighthouses at points where government engineers had considered it. impracticable to build light houses. He thought such a proposition ought to be treated with respect. It was an illus tration of the marvelous inventive abil ity of this nation. A concurrent resolution was adopted providing for the printing of 3,500 copies of the proceedings of the Schley Court of Inquiry. In introducing some bills relating to the organization and maintenance of a naval reserve, Mr. Hale, of Maine, de clared that the reliance placed by some people upon the naval reserve never would be realized. Experi ence had shown, he said, that at the beginning of a war plenty of young men wore ready to enlist in the navy and enter the ranks of naval militia, but at the conclusion of the war the interest in the organization ceased and it was found ditficult to maintain them. He was of the opinion that the United States was not likely, as a nation, to ' take much interest in the militia forces either of the land or of the sea. IP time of stress he was certain that the country would be obliged to depend upon volun teers, called out in an emergency or upon some form of compulsory service. “If.” he said, ‘‘we are to become a great war power we will have to learn the lesson other nations have learned. Every one of the nations of the world that stands snarling at another depends to some extent upon some sort of com pulsory military service. England has learned this lesson from her smallest and wickedest war.” Mr. Hale declared that England was about to resort to conscription to raise men to light “a band of freemen thou sands of miles away.” It had been prtfVod, he said, that naval militia was not a success. Os course, it could be maintained in ‘‘a lingering, half-hearted manner,” but it never really amounted io much. In conclusion he said: “If we hafe de termined that we arc to become a groat war power, with a great army and a great navy, no system of volunteering will answer the purpose.” In response to an inquiry from Mr. Hawley, .Mr. Hale said he did not sup pose that the United States ever would dispense absolutely with the militia, but ’ha; it would continue to be maintained in a half hearted way. In time of war. ho did not think it would be worth reckoning with. Several Senators, among them Mr. Mason (Illinois). Mr. Teller (Col.). Mr. Hoard (Miss.) and Mr. Bacon (Ga.). were drawn into the debate in defense of the militia force-s of the various •States. Mr. Hale finally disclaimed any intention to reflect upon the national gun rd. Mr. Hoar said that while the naval militia was vet in an experimental s’age. it was manifest that, in every warlike emergency the country must be protected by a trained militia or by a regular army or by both. It had been proved that the United States ought to have a good regular army of moderate strength. supplemented by a strong militia force. Mr. Hoar, referring to the training of sailors in civil life. sa id there was another fact not generally known. Our independence iu the War of the Rcvolu tiou had been won at sea. it was not the Trench alliance, but the rate of maritime insurance wWh compelled the unwilling monarch to agree to peace. The rate of insurance on English com mercial sijips then was 28 per cent in the Mediterranean. After Mr. Bacon had protested that it was the valor of our soldiers and sailors that enabled the colonies to gain their independence, and not the rates of in surance on English ships. Mr. Tillman insisted that Mr. Hoar should give some of the credit of achieving independence to other colonies than New England. Amid laughter and applause he declared: “There’s glory enough to go ’round, as our great Admiral in command at the battle of Santiago said.” At the conclusion of the discussion. Mr. Hoar introduced the following reso lution: “That, the President, if in his judg ment, it be not incompatable with the public interest, be requested to inform the Senate whether the Department of State has any official information as to whether the British Government exacts duties on goods intended for prisoners of war Tn Bermuda in violation of arti cle lts of the convention adopted at The Hague, which is as follows: “ ’Gifts and relief in kind for prison ers of war shall be admitted free of all duties of entry* and others, as well as of payments for carriage by the Govern ment railways.’ ” In explanation of his resolution, Mr. Hoar said that some charitable organiza tions in this country had sent supplies and comforts to Boer prisoners detained in Bermuda. Upon these supplies duties had been collected in contravention of The Hague treaty. He desired by the resolution merely to ascertain whether the State Department had been informed of the situation. Mr. Tillman announced the death of J. William Stokes, formerly a Representa tive in Congress from South Carolina, and after the adoption of the usual reso lution of regret tho Senate as a further mark of respect adjourned. PENBION APPROPRIATION BILL It is Passed by the House Which Then Ad journs Till Saturday. (By the Associated Press.) Washington, Jan. 15.—-The House to day passed the Pension Appropriation Bill which has been tinder discussion for three days and then adjourned until Sat urday. The resolution prepared by (lie special committee on the McKinley me morial exercises providing an address by Secretary of State John Hay in the Hall of Representatives February 27th, was adopted. Mr. Moody (Mass.), presented a joint resolution to appropriate $(>0,000 to pay the expenses incurred by the West In dian and South Carolina Inter-State Ex position at Charleston, S. C., in connec tion with the Government exhibit at Charleston. Mr. Elliott (S. C.). made a strong plea for the passage of the resolution. Mr. Payne (N. Y.), declared that the management, when the government ex hibit was secured agreed that the Uni ted States would not be asked for one cent. Mr. Elliott in reply took issue with Mr. Payne as to the facts. He t?aid he was much more anxious that the management of the exposition should not l>o placed in a false altitude than that the reso lution should be adopted. Mr. Moody pledged himself that with the adoption of the pending resolution the government’s expense in connection with the Charleston exposition would cease. The resolution was passed. Mr. Payne called up a bill to allow the redemption of war revenue stamps anv time within two years after the passage of Ihe ait. The bill was passed. *) A resolution on the same subject to au thorize the Secretary of the Treasury to return upon demand within one year hank checks and drafts with war revenue stamps imprinted thereon after