The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-15

roe doctrine and il is well known, too.
that a fight with the United States Is
mighty serious business. In which any na-
ton IS likely 10 be wOrsted
In response To a question by Mr. CAT
fiery, Of Louisiana. referring to our ap-
pearance in the Orient as a great power.
Mr.. Daniel said that this government
made the Monroe doctrine. and II would
make any other doetI.ne that might be
necessary for its interests
While he was in favor or great navy.
he was not an alarmist as to war, De
cause" said he Il believe in the good
sense Of other nations. They are not seek
ing trouble with the United States.
would not corzent TO buy another piece
OF armor from the trust. We have no
enemies abroad so dangerous as those
among ourselves
Il would build an aTmor plant now, and
! would let the battle-ships walt for their
arrnor until we could make 1t. / would
let this gigantic trust know that We are
not helpless and submissive.
The 1ay was spent In discussing the
reudine amendment of Senator IillE Al.
providing for a straight price OF $50 per
ton for armor and an armor plate FACTORY
TO BE- built by the government at COST
not 10 exceed 100000.
Ser ators Penrose, Elkins. and Allison
opposed the government factory idea. Mr.
Tlkins saving that the Secretary OF the
Navy ought not to be hampered. ana NJ.
Allison because Il would prove an eMpeh-
sive luxury. In conclusion. Mr. Ahlsoh
said he would venture the prediction thal
If the government entered upon the man
Hfacture of its own armor, II would DF
four wears before Il could put a plate on
a ship. FIe was satisfied that Sii9 a ION
was 4 reasonable price for hrupp aimoi.
AT the conclusion OF MI. Ail!soH ~
speech. il was agreed that debate on the
armc- plate matter should cease at 8
o'clock to-day. and that all amendments
10 the committees proposition should then
be voted upon.
TIE Senate, at $40 ?. m, adjourned.
The entire membership of the Inter
oceanic Canal Commission appeared Fri
day before the Senate committee In
charge of the Hepburn bill. Great inter
est was manifested in the meeting, as II
was hoped that the commission would be
able to materially aid the committee IN
determining whether ii was desirable TO
proceed at once with the legislation on
this subject or defer action until the next
session of Congress. Admiral Walker,
the president of this and the preceding
commission, was accompanied by Prof.
Haupt Coils Ernst and Hams, MessrS.
Morrison, Noble, and Burr, and ex-Sena-
tor Pasco. constituting the body now ex-
amining the various routes across the
isthmus. A number of the engineering
experts and attaches also were present
Several Of the commissioners had recently
returned from along the routes, while eth
ers had visited Paris and other points,
familiariZing themselves with the organ
iZatiOn of the Panama enterprise.
All the members of the commission were
given an opportunity to express their
views, and were questioned at consider
able length by the Senators. There ap-
peared to be no division of sentiment
on the main points involved, although
| the members were 10th to express opin-
| ions of final character in the midst CT
| their Investigations. AS TO the Nicaragua
route, they reiterated what the Walker
| commission has reported, that the water
| way is entirely practicable from an engi-
neering standpoint at about the same
range of estimates heretofore made, from
| Sis 900 900 TO $40 000.000. Since these esti-
| mates were made. however, the commits
sion has determined upon larger locks,
| and this may increase the figures some
| what.
Concerning the Panama route, the mem
| bers of the commission expressed hesi-
| fancy about giving definite opinions, as
| they have not the same amount of infor-
| nation as on the other. In general way,
| however. they seemed to agree that there
was no obstacle to building the canal 60
| far as engineering considerations were in
| vOlYed But they were not prepared to
give an estimatee of its cost, to state IN
detail the various questions of construc-
| ton, size of locks &c. Most of this mat
ter is now in course Of preparation, and
| the members were not willing to antici-
| pate their report. For the same reason
| the commissioners avoided committing
| themselves as between the two routes, as
| it was pointed out that such comparj-
| son should be based on the relative cost
and the various other practical consider
| atiCns now under investigation. Beyond
| giving the committee much infOrma tion
| as to the investigation and the view that
| both routes were feasible as engineering
projects, the hearing did not develop any
| special influence on the pending leSlSla-
ton. The committee took no action and
adjourned until next Monday, when IL Is
| expected that the House bill will be re-
ported.
Representative Chanler, Small, and
Ransdell, three of the Democratic mem
bers of the House Committee on Mer.
chant Marine and Fisheries, submitted
their views Friday in writing upon th'
shipping bill, heretofore reported by tht
majority Of the committee to the House
The report says that they are unable tC
agree to the report of the majority OF
the committee, and they are also con
strained to disagree with the views Of
several members of the minority in op
position to the bill"
They make 1t plain, however, that they
are opposed to the bill as reported by th'
majority They submit that the object:
| of the bill cannot be considered as po
htical questions, and point out the fac
that only per cent OF the foreign trad
| of the United States is carried in snip
of American registry. After emphaSiZin;
the decadence of American shipping, IN
report discusses the several remedie
which have been proposed. II maintain
that the suggestion of bounty upon eX
ports of American products and dis
eliminating duty or rebate upon import
; carried in American ships would be i'm
practicable, because II would contraVen
our treaty obligations.
The report says that the remedy gen
orally termed free ships Is more Of al
: academic than a practical question be
cause the statute which has denied Amer
r lean registry to foreign-bUlt ships ha
r been in force for more than one hundre
years and no party has yet had the coLr
t age to repeal il. The report then submit
! that the only other remedy which ha
been proposed is that of compensation o
subyentions to American ships engaged !
! our foreign trade, and they submit tina
the question is squarely presented as Z
whether the Congress and the countT
, are willing to apply this remedy in IN
5 absence OF any other feasible suggestio-
c The report urges that the bill does nc
a contain one line or one provision for III
/ encoura cement Of the employment 0
{ Americans upon our ships or Tor IN
4 amelioration of their condition, and that
4 therefore. one Of the principal objects q
! the bill is entirely ignored Among IN
( other unfortunate results Of this situa
: | ton. il SAYS, is the difficulty which ou
own navy is meeting at present OF fndin
/, a sufficient number OF American seame
/. 10 man our newly constructed battle
Q ships.
c The shipping bill. as reported. is crit
cised in a number Of points and serie
> d rnrfTn q vi