Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-15
REGARDED AS DOUBTFUL
Prospects Of an Early Incorporation Of a
National University.
Indications Are That Senator Well
Orably Reported.

Although advocates Of the bill to in
corporate q 'onal university Of the
United Sta, . talking with considera-
BILE confidence regarding the prospects OF
the passage of the measure by the pres
ent Congress, careful inquiry made to-
day by a Star reporter tends to show that
the favorable consideration of the meas
ure by Congress is extremely doubtful.
The present indications are that the bill
introduced by Senator Wellington, which
will be the measure to be considered by
the committee the establishment OF
national university, will not De favorably
reported from that committee. The bill
Is regarded as probably stronger in the
Senate than it is in the House of Repre-
sentatives, and unless some heroic work
is done in favor of the measure 1t Is not
at all likely to become law.
The committee on the establishment OF
a national university Is composed Of Sen
ators Wellington, chairman; Frye, Nelson,
pie, Walthall and Clay. Five of these
senators are either positively opposed to
the bill or are inclined to be opposed to
it, while of the other four Senator Well
ington is heartily in favor Of the measure,
as Senator Frye is supposed to be. while
Messrs. Foraker and Deboe are not re-
garded as being pronounced in their views.
In the last Congress a bill practically
Wellington was favorably reported by
vote of to 4. The four members who
opposed the bill in committee were Sena-
tors Turpie Jones, Nelson and Walthall.
all of them uniting in minority report
against the measure. These four members
remain on the committee as at present
constituted, and. in addition to Them there
is Senator Clay of Georgia, who is not
pronounced in his opposition to the meas
ure, but is strongly inclined to vote against
it unless number Of objections he sees
to it are overcome. The prospect is that
vote Of the committee today would be
to at least in opposition to the meas
ure. and 1t is not unlikely that one or two
Of the other members of the committee
might Join them.
Speaking of his bill today Senator Well
ington. chairman Of the committee to es-
tablish a national University, said that he
was heartily in favor Of the project and
would do all he could to secure favorable
action upon 1t from the Senate. Since his
appointment as chairman OF the commit
tee he has not called meeting Of its men,
bers and has had no opportunity to Judge
how the bill will be received by them.
He said he would call the committee to-
gether after the Christmas holiday Nover.
desire to hear further testimony from
leading educators regarding the necessity
for the establishment Of the university
Mr.. Wellington did not think such . course
would be necessary. He thought the COM
mittee could at once get to work to con-
OF the mass Of material that has already
been submitted for and against the pro-
ject and could express its opinion on 1t
within o reasonably short time.
Arkansas said that he was unalterably OPP
posed to the measure. and did not think
there was any way to make It acceptable
70 him through amendment. He simply