The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-04-24
BY TaVenner.

Washington, April 23.-Just how
much of a patriotic and disintGested
organization the Merchant 1arine
League is not, is being brought out in
testimony before the ship subsidy in
veStigating committee.
The league is composed principally
of millionaires, and is under, ilvesti-
cation by congress because Of having
attacked members of the house who
have had the courage to oppose the
$5,000000 ship subsidy bill in the
opinion of the democrats as well as
many republicans, the legislation in
question is considered and frequently
referred to as the ship subsidy grab"
Although the men affiliated With the
Merchant Marine League TESTIFIED be-
fore the committee as if they had a
monopoly on patriotism and lenevo-
| lence, these facts were brought out in
| discrimination:
| That Walter \. Post. the vicepresi-
dent of the league for Virginia, is at
the head of the Newport News Ship
building Company. This company
builds vessels up to the size of battle
ships, and might therefore prof. di-
rectly through the passage of d ship
subsidy bill
| That Edmund G. Converse, member
of the leagues executive committee
is a director of the steel trust. which
furnishes the steel for shipbuildng
That through a peculiar coincidence
nearly all of the philanthroDists be
hind the Merchant Marine Leagua as
officers and executive commit eemen
are owners of iron beats, trans porters
of iron Gre. and other products enter
ing into such manufacture. or manu-
facturers of iron and steel and the va
rious products of iron and steel anC
) would be benefited in a general way a
least through the passage of the shil
subsidy bill.
Yet Harvey D. Goulder. the forme
president of the Merchant Marin.
League. who himself is interested il
the ownership Of four or five ore carry
ing fleets, declared while a. wines
that up until the time he entered tn
committee room it had not. occu~re
: to him in the remotest degree that \
: might be directly benefited throug
, the passage of the $5O00,OOO ship sui
f sidy bill.
l John A. Penton, secretary of TIL
/ league and leader of the ship sui
{ sidists, appears from his testimony I
! be the most patriotic of all the philal
, thrCpists. He testified that he coul
not in any possible way profit throug
r the passage Of a ship subsidy bill. an
declared that he had lost $4,000 tn
year as a result of neglect of his bus
ness.
\ Mr.. Penton admitted writing a
article printed in the American Fla
= a magazine issued by the league,
> which Rep. Halvor Stevenson vas bi
: terly attacked because of his oppo:
= ton to ship subsidy He stated the
. had been a meeting of the officers
= the league and it had been decided
: make an example of Mr.. Steenerso
: This testimony practically substntiat,
= the charge made by Mr.. SteenersC
e that the Merchant Marine League HI
attempted to ''intimidate, terrifv al
/ influence him into abandoning his @
> lposition to ship subsidy.
Il First Victory Won.
f The first victory for the Democra
S and progressive Republican in t
t fight to reserve a few privileges f
n the people in the presidents railrc,
\ bill has been won.
The Aldrich reactiOnary group 81
rendered without testing the spirit
the senate through q vote. Senator
i kins having himself offered the amer
o ment adopted.
2 The amendment in question civ
S the shippers who are COMMITMENTS
J. fore the Interstate Commerce Comm
/ sion the right to representation
Y counsel before the proposed court
r commerce and in the supreme cou
The original provision of the b