Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-24


from his purpose to put the government
into the shipping business by purchase
Of vessels and that he believes legisla-
ton to that end will pass Congress
within two or three weeks at the outside.
The President made it clear that he is
taking personal command Of the shipping
situation as he has not done up to this
time and that the democratic leaders in
Congress will stand by him in the firm
conviction that the country will approve
almost any legislation that is direct and
forcible and promises action without
long delay.
War Risk Bill Delayed.
Immediate action in the House on the
Senate war risk insurance bill was
thwarted today by lack Of a quorum of
the rules committee. An attempt will be
made to get enough of the rules commit
tee together tomorrow to report a special
rule for immediate consideration, failing
which the majority will try to pass the
measure next Monday under suspension
of the rules.
The United States Steel Corporation.
the Standard Oil Company and the United
Fruit Company have notified the govern
ment Of their intentions to put their
fleets under the American flag under the
new law extending home registry to for
eign built craft.
The President gave notice that if
private capital in sufficient amount is
raised to establish adequate shipping
facilities for United States produce.
manufactures and passengers, the gov
eminent might not put into effect the
legislation which it proposes to rush
through. At the same time the admin
istration has received no tntimation that
private capital means to do anything on
a scale that promises to relieve conditions
in this country.
Will Not Give Guarantee.
In fact. the only intimation that has
come to the administration is that private
capital might be willing to do what the
government contemplates if the govern
its bonds. This the administration Will
not do. 1t will, the President said today,
afford every possible announcement 10
private capital to aid in the development
Of an American marine but does not
propose practically to take the nnancial
nothing to say as to the operation OF
The President emphatically announced
that there will be no essential modihca-
ton of the plan agreed upon. ana ne
expected to see legislation go through
Congress in quick order. This legislation
does not propose to put the government
in competition with private capital. oue
does propose to do something. anu oo
it as quickly as possible, to relieve a oao
situation in the solution Of which every
producer of grain, cotton. flour ana otner
things Is deeply concerned
May Develop Other Fields.
The intimations from the White House
are that IL private capital enters largely
into the marine business to aid in the
present situation the government-owned
ships may be diverted to lines of trade
that have not been developed and which
would be of great value to the COM
merce of the country when developed.
The intimations are plain tnat ois
shipping combines, foreign and Ameri-
can, are beginning to fear that the
may soon be in competition
with them and that they are bringing
pressure to bear in all directions to
make it appear that the administration
is entering upon a scheme that is not
feasible and means the choking OF
private enterprise. At the same time,
according to the administration. these
interests are doing absolutely nothing
of real consequence toward genuine
relief.
The President declared today that
aovernment-owned vessels would be
very careful not to carry goods that
are either actual contrabrand or con-
ditional contrabrand.
To Register 100 Foreign Ships.
The President has received a report
from the Department of Commerce that
it is working out plans under the
amendmet to the Panama bill passed
a few days ago by which it is believed
that close to 100 foreign-owned vessels
will come under American register as
provided in that BILL
Several plans for carrying out this
law are being formulated for the ap-
prevail of the President, and the adj
ministration will be as liberal as pos
sible in it's Interpretation of the law.
Confers With Subcommittee.
For more than an hour today Presi-
dent Wilson conferred with a subcom-
mittee of the House naval affairs COM
mittee on what is known as the Weeks
bill for increasing American shipping.
Secretary Daniels Of the Navy Depart
ment was present. The subcommittee
consisted of Representatives Talbot,
Roberts, Stephens. Gerry and Williams.
This subcommittee favors bill that
will place in the hands of the Panama
Railroad Company the purchase or
construction of vessels to be used as
auxiliaries of the navy or as COM
mercia1 vessels according to circum-
stances, the main object being to give
the navy more auxiliaries. the CONNER
cial end of the proposition being more
or less secondary to the naval.
The members of the subcommittee be-
lieve that the charter of the Panama
Canal Company is amply sufficient to
cover any operations the government
wishes to go into without further amend
ment and that this company can be
used for the purposes the President has
in view better than a newly organized
company, such as the President pro-
poses.
Bills to Be Amalgamated.
The outcome of the conference was
that the President asked his callers to
confer with Representative Alexander.
who is drafting a shipping bill along
lines the President has laid down, so that
the two bills that are virtually certain to
he reported will contain the best posi-
HE features, with the object of an ulti-
mate amalgamation. Il
The attitude of the President did not
show any especial concession to the
panama railroad PLAN He did not be-
Iieye that the charter of the Panama
Railroad Company was broad enough
to carry all that Is proposed by the
House naval affairs subcommittee and
was inclined to insist upon his plan of
a shipping bureau or commission that
will run the commercial side of the
shins to be purchased, the personnel
of the Panama company. which has