Evening star., 1914-08-02
CHANGE IN CANAL
ACT AGREED UPON
Will Permit Foreign Ships to
Come Under American
Registry at Once.
PRESIDENT AND LEADERS
TO URGE PROMPT ACTION
Amendment Intended to Save Trans.
atlantic Shipping From Paralysis
During the War.

~AAA6 VIZ "oA'
President Wilson and leaders in tn,
House and Senate yesterday agreed upor
an amendment to the Panama canal act
which will permit foreign ships to come
under American registry at once.
The amendment is intended to save
transatlantic shipping from paralysis dur
ing the European war. and it will bt
pressed for passage tomorrow, with the
influence of the administration for prompt
action.
According to Representative Under
wood. the majority leader of the House
the amendment is mot intended to buil6
up a great. merchant marine in the
United States. but is temporary meas.
ure. to relieve an emergency situation
The bill would eliminate the require
ment that a ship must be five years ole
to get the American registry would au-
thorize the President to suspend the re-
quirement that. all watch-off1cers mus,
be Americans. and suspend the require
nent OF survey. inspection and measure
ments Of foreign-built vessels admitted to
American registry. The bill will take
effect Immediately upon enactment, as
an emergency measure.
May Suspend Provisions.
After repeating certain restrictions con-
tanned in the Panama act the bill pro-
vides:
That the President of the United States
IS hereby authorized. whenever. I'm his
merce may require, to suspend by order,
SO far as he may deem desirable, the pro-
visions Of the law prescribing that all
the watch officers of vessels of the Unit
ed States registered for foreign trade
shall be citizens of the United States.
Under like conditions, in like manner.
and to like extent. the President of the
United States also is hereby author
lied to suspend the provisions Of law
requiring survey, inspection and meas
Of foreign built vessels admitted to Amer
lean registry under this act.
This act shall take effect imme-
diately."
The bill is not expected to be opposed
when unanimous consent for its passage
Oppose Letting Down Bars.
None Of the democratic leaders favors
letting down the bars SO as to permit
foreign ownership of American registered
vessels, and the sentiment developed to-
day was unanimously that all conversions
Of foreign built and owned vessels into
American owned and registered ships
must be rigidly bona tide
1t was pointed out that unless this
position was maintained there might be
grave neutrality complications through
ships Of belligrent nations temporarily
taking out American registry to evade
the risks and high marine insurance that
their own foreign flag might involve.
Under international law all ships Of
American registry must be owned by
American corporations or American citi-
zens incidentally there Is nothing in
the neutrality laws that prevents Ameri-
can ships from carrying grain, cotton
and similar non-contrabands to ports of
nations that may be at war.
This is not bill to build up great
merchant marine in the United States"
said Mr.. Underwood. 1T is a temporary
measure to relieve an emergency situa-
ton. in the event Of nations going to
in the upbuilding of sufficient public
sentiment in this country to bring about
the enactment Of laws that will restore
the merchant marine"
Chicago Trade Board Acts.
CHICAGO. August 1-Directors Of the
Chicago Board of Trade at special
meeting this afternoon adopted resolu-
tons urging the federal government i'm
mediate!y to amend the navigation laws
so as to remove restrictions on foreign
vessels which wish to enter the Ameri-
can registry. A copy Of the resolutions
was telegraphed to President Wilson
and to Senators Sherman and Lewis of
Illinois.
News that Germany had declared war
on Russia was received with eager in
terest tonight by leaders on the Chicago
board, but in no case with the least
show Of excitement. 1t was virtually the
unanimous opinion that the consequence
50 far as the wheat market was con-
cerned had been to great extent dis
counted In advance.
Beyond a temporary CONFUSION perhaps
in the wheat pit. the effect on prices
was generally expected to be much more
restrained than in the case Of Austria s
declaration against servia.
Anticipates Little Effect.
Fifty million bushels OF wheat was
said to be already under contract for
shipment to Eurore ard unable to get
away from United States ports. Even
with immediate amendment of the navi.
cation laws. it was declared that an
adequate outlet would still be lacking as
shipments would have to be confined as
FAR as possible to neutral ports such as
Amsterdam and Rotterdam, or run the
risk OF delay and loss by blockades.
George e. Marcy. president of the Ar
inouf Grain Company. said: THE decla.
ration OF war between GERMANY snd
Russia viii not. In my opinion, have !
great eject on the wheat market
though possibly at the opening there NAV
oe some furry one way or the other.
AS matter OF fact, at the preseni
tin1e. war between those two countries is
rot a buiish argument for the reason
mat there are large quantities of whea,
AT the seanoard. or moving to the sea.
board from the country elevators and
Farmers: and under present conditions
very little of this wheat can be safely
loaded. Therefore. our export business
will be at a standstiil temporarily until
things are more settled. Some of this
wheat which is intended to go for expor,
may be offered for sale in American mar.
kets. and this in itself will prevent an,
high prices at the present time.
Hopes for Prompt Action.
ut is to be hoped that the United
States government will move as prompt,
as possible to provide laws under whici
some OF the foreign vessels may be reg
istered as United States bottoms. Tn,
United States has this year upward o,
100000, 900 bushels os wheat which cal
be spared for export, and II Is for tn,
benefit Of the farmer. community bank
ing interests and every one to have thil
under present conditions, and draw bacl
ma IN gold Unod fQYroo