The Washington herald., 1910-12-09

The National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress split wide apart yesterday. Fac
tionalism. which had been brewing. cama
TO an open rupture. ana the slogan OF the
conventional waterways policy. not
project''-was sadly battered by the
clash of conflicting interests.
Incident to the fight, the President %
the United States was bitterly attacked
by Representative Smith. OF South Caro-
lima. Representative J. Hampton Moore.
OF Philadelphia, and Senator Richardson.
of Delaware. led the sudden flank move
meDt for the Atlsntic deeper waterway
interests against the -InonopoIstie atti-
tude" Of the Middle West delegates. who.
| il was asserted. apparently believe that
the entire waterways campaign was IN
augurated for their especial benefit
do not try to bring undue pressure
10 bear upon the President, cried Rep
resentative Moore in the convention 7
assure you such an effort as that viii
fail. You cannot bulldoze President
Taft Furthermore, We Eastern dele
yates are determined TO make ourselves
felt In this waterways movement here
after. I want you TO remember that We
also have interests to be conserved. You
cannot slight US in your programme Il
you expect our support.
1T is al very well TO make great plans
about the L.akes-tO-the-Gulf project. and
the Ohio River project but we also ask
your attention for our plans. and solicit
your support This congress is not a
sectional affair. II does not mean that
one portion Of the country is to benefit
at the expense OF another"
Defense EvOkes Applause.
Wild cheers greeted Representative
Moore's remarks. He proceeded directly
TO the auditorium from red-hot meet-
ing held by the Eastern delegates at
which it was unanimously determined 10
drive several big spikes into the Illusion
of harmony which had hitherto dominated
the convention.
AT this meeting Representative Smith
of South Carolina arose and declared
President Taft. after accepting the hos
pitality Of the Atlantic Deeper Water
ways Association at Norfolk. had return
ed 20 the Capital and displayed such evil
dent Partially for the Middle Western
projects. at the expense of the Eastern,
that his hosts We're dumbfounded He
stated that the work of the Atlantic
Deeper Waterways Association had neyer
received its full need Of recognition. a.d
that it was imperative to make their in
fiuence felt in the present congress or
forever hold their peace.
Senator Richardson also delivered HIM
self of some remarks 10 the effect that
the Eastern projects were being ignored
in the congress, and that il was high
time 10 call a halt 10 the monopolistic
tendency of the Middle Western dele
gates
When Representative Moore was es-
corted TO the auditorium from this special
meeting by his friends, strong demand
was made upon Chairman Ransdeu that
the fve-minute rule be suspended for his
benefit. This was done, and the fighting
Philadelphia was granted fifteen min
utes for his speech. Then came the fire.
works and the throwing Of the bomb
shell which dispeIled all hopes Of con-
tinued harmony in the congress.
Split Not Unexpected.
pected. as Gov. Harmon. OF Ohio, had
made yelled references to the coming
storm in his morning address. and plead
ed with the delegates to avoid it. II pos
sible
When Lieut. Col William NJ. Sibert,
member OF the Isthmian Canal Commits
sion, was called on for brief address
by the delegates last night, il was
scarcely expected that he would invest
his remarks with political significance
He declared that the Panama Canal
should be fortified, and opposed the neu-
tralization Of the canal territory II it
were not fortified. he added. it would be
vulnerable TO all types of guerrilla at
tacls. and might even be susceptible 10
damage from the battle ships of an
enemy passing through H.
other speakers at the meeting last
night. held in conjunction with thu
Women's Rivers and HaFbors Congress.
were Mrs. Hoyle 7Nmkies Mrs. A. Bar
ton Miller. Mrs. William Cummings
Story, the well-known insurgent d. A. r.
leader; Representative Sheppard, OF