The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-03-02
Presidents Attitude On Expor-
tatlon Of Munitions Of War
Arouses German-Americans n.
REFUSAL TO ESTABLISH ~
EMBARGO IS UNPOPULAR
Foreign Policies Of Administration
Denounced As Weakest In d
History Of Nation I, - 81.
BY ERNEST q. wArKER
mail Special to The Advertiser

.@. Mail Special to The Advertiser)
The all-absorbing story at Washing.
ton is in the Ship Purchase Bill. That
proposition to spend $3O.OOO,O00 in acs
quiring merchant ships to be operated
by the United States government has
led TO almost unexplained contention
and controversy. 1t has smashed the
winter program for legislation. The
absence of any clOture rule in the SEN
ate permitted ,the Republican minority
to talk this bill to q standstill. The
minority probably would have been
worn out by an aggressive Democracy,
but for the detection of seven of their
senator's, who have been voting with
Republicans most of the time during
a fortnight of remarkable but not
altogether interesting maneuvers.
The present, or sixty-third congress,
expires by constitutional limita ton on
Thursday, March 4, at noon. Time is
virtually up, when the annual supply
bills, which must be passed by congress
ut this session, or at an extra session,
can be disposed of. But President
Wilson, blocked by the militant senate
minority, has been turning to other al
ternatives. He has his fighting clothes
on. He is getting the bill passed by
the house, where the Democratic ma
jority is overwhelming as an amend
ment to another shipping bill that
the senate enacted last year.
The administration claims there is
great need of more ships to transport
the country's products to Europe. The
special aim at this time, however, is to
capture the markets of South Ameriea
A feeling is abroad that Great Britain
will strive vigorously to retain this
South American trade and to take
over as much of the German custom
there as possible. But European cOpn,
tries necessarily will be crippled be
cause Of the war lfbr,, the next few
years, and the Intervening time II
looked upon as American opportunity
All the shipyards on both coasts ar
working overtime in the construction
of American ships for the merchant
trade. Even with this there is sait
to be necessity of some encouragement
and the President wants to fIFnisT
this encouragement, as his, critics say
by diseouraging private enterprise.
Note Stirs Washington ,,tJy,- -
The state department s note to Ger
many, in warning against Berlin ;,
threat to shipping under neutral tiagi
in the North Sea, has stirred Wash
ington more or less profoundly. Tn,
language of the note is believed TO hav,
been President Wilson s. The style ant
phrasing are distinctly his. AnC
though Republicans have assailed thu
Democratic administration 8 foreigi
policy incontinently, they have ex
pressed admiration for the tone AM
tenor of this latest paper. Forme
senator Depew of New York, a vet
eran and venerable Republican, saiC
the other day this stern note to Ger
many was in keeping with the very
best tradition of the state department
Former President Taft whom som,
Republicans talk about renominatinj
again next year, gave an interview a
Toronto, Canada, and referred to tn,
note to Germany, and, alike that t,
Great Britain on the use of the Unite'
States flag for protection of British
merchant shipping, as ''elear, digni
fed and emphatic.'
Official circles here to not regart
very seriously the hosting of the Star
and Stripes over the Lnsitania an,
other British ships. The situation i
so tense for Germany, however, tina
the state department, as a matter O
good diplomacy, felt bound to protest
The purpose evidently is TO make ~
the case fully in anticipation o., posi-
Die German rashness in allowinga sub
marine to send United States mer
chairman or any merchantmen oil
which citizens of the United States ar
passengers to the bottom without oh
serving the usages of internationa
law.
The way of mighty neutral
greatest nation indeed of all tn
neutraIs remaining in the worl'
is very hard. The bitteres
antagonists would not question
President wilson industrious effort
to favor neither Germany nor Grea
Britain. He and his administration
have thus incurred the hatred of Ger
Etnan- Americans, who are several mil
lions in the United States, and appa
rently, if press dispatches can be be
Heved of Germany. The administTa
ton s influence has been Stout,
against Legislation to prohibit the ex
nortiny of munitions of war. Sucl
bills have been vigorously pressed il
senate and house, but to no purpose
Out in the states an aggressive propa
ganda has been encouraged in behalf 0
this legislation.
Dare Not Set Precedent
prauilank L.,
atel on several occasions that "w
would be fools for two reasons t
prohibit such exportatiOns-'' first be
raus" we dare not set preeeden
which might work distinctly to on
disadvantage should that very VI
likely event for us, war, ever come I
be reality; second, because there
"A large amount Of capital invrste
lcgitimately in the manufacture of wa
engines and materials in our country.