The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-19
PRESIDENTS POLICY DEFINED.
BUYING IN CHEAPEST MARKET
INTENDED AS SUGGESTIVE.
No Restriction on the Government rs to
the Market In Which 1t May Buy Canal
supplies or Anything Else-Army Sup
plies Must He Bought Where Cheapest.

WASHINGTON May ls-From an authori-
tative source it was learned to-day that the
President, the Secretary Of War and the
Isthmian Canal Commission do not intend
and have never intended that the decision
10 buy abroad, IL desirable. such ships
and material AZ may be necessary to the
completion OF the Panama Canal project
shall I've a fixed policy Of the Administration.
The action OF the President, for he has
assumed full and complete responsibility
for this important departure, was intended
as suggestive, and did not and does not
mean that he will insist that it shall be
regarded by Congress as an Administration
measure. On the contrary. the only wish
Of the President is that Congress advise
him what to do and he is perfectly willing
to carry out its dictates.
Personally, President Roosevelt and Sec
rotary Taft are credited with believing
that authority to purchase ships and ma
terial in foreign and not merely in home
markets should be vested in the canal ad-
ministration and they are also understood
to be of the opinion that if this authority
IL taken away, thus restricting all pur-
chases to the United States, the cost OF
building the canal will be greatly increased
There Is at present no restriction on the
Government as to the markets in which
It may buy. and the action Of the President
and Secretary Taft in having the Canal
Commission get its supplies wherever they
were to be obtained the cheapest. without
regard to political boundaries, was given
publicity mainly to let Senators and Repre-
aentatives have plenty of time to consider
the question before they are called to-
gether in extraordinary session next fall.
OF an interview with Representative Dalzell
Of Pennsylvania, one Of the Republican
leaders in the House, who, in expressing
his opposition to the Administrations
action, indicated that he regarded it az a
however, he Is declared to be wrong.
The decision to purchase supplies out
side the United States, II necessary. is
not a new departure for the Government.
although 1t has been assumed that IL had
never before been praot a.eds Congress iss
business in a law relating to purchases
for the army, which provides .that after
advertisement all the supplies for the use
OF the various departments and posts of
the army shall DO purchased ,E where t, the
and cost OF transportation considered"
Under the authority Of this statute meat
for the army in the Philippines Is now being
bought in Australia, where II is secured
FOR six cents pound, against f1ftesn cents
a pound in the United States.
That the Administration believed or
feared that combinations were being formed
in this country to make the Government |
psy exorbitant prices for canal supplies
Is credited by many public men here, and
it is certain at least that the suspicion
existed in the minds of some Of the hghes. |
Administration officials that such an out
come was not unlikely il the purchase of |,
material for constructing the canal was
to be confined entirely to the American |
Senator McCumber OF North Dakota is !
one OF those who shares the extreme of tn s |
point Of view. He was at the White House ,
to-day. and alter leaving there said that |
in his opinion there were combinations to !
clutc., The Government b. TIE throat in |
the matter o. cSatrac.5 fc- tho Panama
Canal"