The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-20
WON'T BUY FOREIGN SHIPS.
fANAL OMNISSION WIZ VaH
FOR CONGRESS To ACT.

Meanwhile It. VIII Charter the Vrsseh
Observation-Disclosures OF SUI ,iic> t. se
Restricted TIL Congress says whether
They shall Be Made In This country
WASHINGTON. May l0.--Ofiicial evidence
that the Administration had not decidea
upon the purchase of ships and supply
material for the Panama Canal without
regard to national boundary lines IA r1xed
continuous policy was furnished to-day
In the announcement that the ships which
the Canal Commission requires for ite I'M
mediate needs in aid OF the constructon
OF the Canal are TO be chartered and not
bought outright, and that only suoh supplies
will be contracted for as are necessary 10
carry on the construction work until Con-
gress has the opportunity to express itself
on the pending issue of restricting or not
restricting purchases to the home market.
AZ THE Sun said this morning, the action
OF the Administration was intended TO Do
suggestive and not final and there was no
desire 10 attempt to force Congress to ac-
cept the views OF the President. the Secre-
tary of War and the Canal Commission
The Administration holds that under the
law creating the commission it must per-
force buy in the chea pest market, thus COM
polling 1t, II the required articles we're to
be had at less cost abroad than at home.
to go into the foreign fields for the purpose
But the President has no desire to an
Ia gonize Congress in this matter, and II
Congress DEGREES that purchases shall be
confined 10 the home market the Admins
tration will acquiesce wit lout complaint
and leave the responsibility for expected
T aI Of
legislative branch Of the Government.
While to-day'- announcement Will nat
urally be attributed to the opposition that
has developed in the Republican party
to the course of the Administration, it does
not mean that the President has backed down
from his position that ships and supplies
must be procured where they can be bought
cheapest On the contrary. the course
announced to-day is entirely consistent
with the intention of the President that
Congress- is entitled to the right to say
whether canal supply purchases shall be
confined exclusively to the domestic market.
Mr.. Roosevelt Ia credited with the per-
sonal belief that the wiser course for Con-
gless to pursue is not to make any change
in the existing general authority vested
In the Canal Commission to buy in the
market. whether foreign or domestic. that
furnishes the required material at the
lowest prices But his position is that II
the representatives OF the people believe
that the cana should be constructed entirely
with American materials and the work
aided by ships built only in the United
States. then the representatives of the
people mus, bear the burden Of any
criticism that may arise If the cost of the
canal l- Increased greatly beyond what 1t
would have been If all the markets OF the
world were open 10 the commission.
In explanation Of the announced de-
cison of the Canal Commission not TO
oveIstock with canal construction supplies
and to charter and not buy foreign ships
until Congress has had an opportunity
of declaring itself. Theodore P. Shonts,
the chairman of the commission, said to-
day that the commission was exceedingly
an xio,ls to buy its supplies and ships in this
country, but that under existing circum-
stances it could do nothing else than enter
foreign markets "a purchaser, He held
that the commissions policy should be
fixed by legislation.
The commission has simply been forced
to take this position in the matter of pur-
CflnSe Oh supplies anu Silli)r, lie @SiiI' Nide
we need i. legislative authority to pur-
chase American supplies and ships only;
otherwise it Is our sworn duty to get the ships
and supplies where we can get them the
cheapest. We will cheerfully receive in
structions from Congress 10 buy American
products only and Congress should do some
thing at the next session 1t has failed to
act so far. although asked to do so 10y both
Secretary Taft and his predecessor, Mr..
Root"
The Canal Commission has had in view
two 6UOO ton vessels which could be pur-
chased abroad immediately The neces-
sity Of having these ships and the I'M
possibility of securing American bottoms
caused the decision Of al few days ago to
buy foreign st eamers. Whether the char
tered Vessels will be foreign or American
,tf ia,.4pIs I he. T,rif.tAa askp1