The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-03
NO COMPROMISE IS SLOGAN OF WILSON
 TOLL REPEAL HEADS
Continued from Page Onc)

 said there were one or two members of the committee who Were against the re- peal but who, he understood, would vote l to bring the question promptly before l the Senate in an early report
 1 Incidentally, the President took occa- sion to deny published reports that hs had sent any ultmatum to the Senate through Senator Owen or anyone else with view to forcing early action He he'd done nothing. he said, along this line He added that no proposals for compromise or change in the repeal meas 1re had been brought to him and signif1- cantly suggested that amendments were net being offered by administration leaders.
 plain that he believed it the duty of the American congress to repeal the tolls exemption without eouivocation or evasion and that he was against any amendments. He told callers frankly that
 W hile he did not expect obstructive tac- tics in the Senate, he expected full
 discussion of the question there, but was confident the repeal would pass.
 No Proposals Mentioned
 The President declared no proposals
 for a caucus had been mentioned to him. Reports were in circulation today that
 an effort might be made to force the re- peal iill into a caucus, but these rumors were denied promptly. democratic leaders asserting that a caucus would not be necessary. at the same time insisting that there is doubt that the repeal bill
 will. have safe majority when the vote Is taken. It was pointed out by such democratic senators as OGorman and Chamberlain. who are openly and un- yieldingly opposed to toll exemption re- peal, could not go into a caucus which would be designed to bind them.
 Friends of the repeal bill insisted tonight that the support of the Presi- dents policy is increasing rather than decreasing. One republican senator who will vote for the repeal declared that a canvass of the Senate today showed a clear majority of nine for the bill, the probability being that several votes counted for the opposition would be reversed. number of republicans,
 however. 1t Is now generally under .
 stood, have decided to line up against
 the repeal notwithstanding they voted
 against free tolls originally. Among
 these are Senators Penrose and oliver
 of Pennsylvania, who have publicly an-
 nounced their change of position
 O'GOrman Calls Committee
 Chairman O'Gorman issued the for
 nal call today for the canals commit tee to meet next Tuesday morning. -.,
 Secretary Bryan discussed the issue
 with several senators while at the cap itol among them Senator Ashurst of
 Arizona one of the democrats openly opposed to the repeal. Senator Ashurst said after his talk with the Secretary of State that he had not changed his
 views. Mr. Bryan also discussed the sit nation with Senator Overman of North Carolina, who is in favor of toll ex- emption repeal.
 Representative Moss of West Vir-
 ginia, republican, who voted against
 the Sims bill, today introduced reso-
 lution to declare that 1t is the sense
 of the House that its repeal of the clause granting exemption to coast
 wise shipping was "in furtherance of
 the desire of the United States to facil- itate negotiations between the United
 States and Great Britain, are in no sense to be construed as waiving or de- nying any right possessed by the
 United States to grant exemption from
 tolls to her vessels of war and com
 merce."