Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-01
SAYS OPPOSITION lessons
PASSAGE OF THE OCEAN MAIL
| BILL PREDICTED.
Mr.. Ga1linger Declares That the
Measure Is Gaining Friends
in Congress.

At the next session of Congress. &C.
cording to Senator Gallinger Of New
hire who is the author Of the
ocean mail bill that failed at the session
just ended, measure Of this character
will probably go through. He says he
believes sentiment is growing In Con-
gress in favor OF such legislation.
Mr.. Gallinger's Prediction.
Mr.. Gallinger has given out a statement
with regard to the bill. 1t Is in part as
follows:
The ocean mail BILL which passed the
Senate March 20 without q division and
later was sustained by the Senate in the
post Office appropriation bill on a vote OF
IS to IL. is not killed by the action of
the House in failing to accept ii on a
narrow vote OF 146 to 153. The friends Of
the bill believe that mex, December II
will win by q decisive majority. The
exultation which the temporary defeat 0!
this measure has aroused in Liverpool.
London. and Hamburg among the for
eisn shipowners and merchants Is hasty
and premature.
Waning Of the Opposition.
The vote May q shows how swiftly
the ocean mail service and the merchant
marine are gathering strength In the
House Of Representatives. One year ago
fifty-six republicans. nearly all from the
middle west, voted against . bill for mail
lines to South America. The other day
only thirty-six republicans. all but Mr..
Perkins OF Rochester. N. Y, being from
the middle west. voted against a bill for
mail lines to South America, japan.
China, the Philippines and Australasia. A
year ago % per cent Of the republicans Of
the House were opposed: this year only
Is per cent And this second test is all
the more significant because it was made
in the year OF q presidential election.
THE middle west is still the center OF
opposition, but that opposition is wan
ing one. Already there Is very much
more support than hostility in those in
land states which have long been the
special field Of activity Of the European
steamship corporations For forty years
the agents and attorneys In this country
OF foreign ship trusts. like that which
took several fast steamers out OF New
York in our war with Spain and sold them
boasting that the whole middle west was
unalterably opposed to all national 1egis-
lation for an American ocean mail service
and merchant marine.
Now. as 4 matter of fact. the inland
states bet ween Ohio and the Rocky noun
tains cas-: lightweight republican votes
for the ocean mail bill in the House the
other day. as compared with thirty-five
votes against ia middle western ma
jority for this measure of more than two
can votes against the bill. while Illinois
gave q majority of It's votes for II. and
the prairie state Of Nebraska three out of
five.
These are figures which poin, un-Ilis-
takaDly TO an early and complete victory
for the American flag have reason to
believe that nlany-probably majority
OF the thirtyfive western Representatives
who voted against the ocean mall oil! q
week ago personally favor legislation or
this kind but fear that II Is not yet prop
erly understood by their constituents.
There is no question that there is hos
tl,ty in the middle west to the idea of
subsidy. but this ocean mail Dill is no
more a subsidy than is our expenditure
on rural free delivery or railway mail
carrying 1t is simply honest pay for
actual service rendered.
Western Misapprehension.
Western misunderstanding OF the
ocean mail legislation wherever it exists.
am convinced, is due in large part to
the propaganda maintained for many
years by the rich and powerful Euro
pean steamship combinations = through
their emigrant agencies scattered all over
the western country. These foreign ship
companies are afraid OF a vigorous, COM
peting American merchant marine. They
now Inonopol;ze nine-tenths Of our ocean
carrying. and receive for this upward OF
500, NWoOG a year. Because there are
no American ships. these foreign COLI
Germs are able to force the United States
government to pay double transit rates
TOR the privilege OF sending our mails TO
South America via Europe. and they are
scheining now to drive our flag Off the
trade routes in the Pacific ocean.
.S ft,nC al,
the assurance to assal the ocean mail
bill as IN the interest of monopoly :
though the bill has no more earnest cham
pion. than President Roosevelt and Sec
rotary Taft This Is g. measure in the
interests of he safety and independence
OF America and the freedom of the
seas AS before suggested. l am conf
dent that before the Sixtieth Congress
adjourns the ocean mail bill Will have
won sufficient new support In the middle
west to insure it's final passage by a
strong majority in the House OF Repre-
santatives.