The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-09
Motion to Recess Defeated When Norris and LaFol-
 Iette Vote with Majority
FILLIBUSTER ON IN
 FULL FORCE AGAIN
Republicans Declare Fight Will Be Continued to March 4-Extra Session Likely Unless Demo-
 crats Relent

Washington. February s.-Adminis-
 trstfon forces of the Senate pushing E
 the government ship purchase bill,
 succeeded late today in putting the
 republicans and their seven democratic
 allies again on the> defensive.
 Accepting the inevitable. the opposi-
 ton renewed it's declaration of unre-
 lentfng war. Determined to oppose the
 bill even until adjournment on March
 1. if necessary. republicans resumed
 general debate in another protracted
 session which showed no signs of end-
 ing at late hour tonight
 After this turn in the already long
 legislative struggle, democratic cham
 pions of the bill asserted that the bill
 would not be withdrawn and that the
 great appropriation bills would be ig-
 nored should the opposition insist on preventing a vote. Even the President intimated that there was no thought of yielding to the ship bills enemies. Extra Session Needed Such situation, it generally was conceded, would necesstate an extra session of Congress
 The only way to obviate this, it was suggested, would be for the Senate to adopt some form of cloture to force a vote on the ship bill, but even ad- ! ministration leaders deemed this un- likely
 Republicans and the democratic in- surgents were forced to renew debate when Senator Fletcher offered mo tion to recommit the bill with instruc- tions to the commerce committee to re- port it with amendments forthwith. Senator Fletcher sought to get vote on his motion but the opposition at- tempted to recess until tomorrow. The recess motion was lost, 4S to AZ. with Senator Kenyon, the only absentee. Senators Norris and LaFollette voted against the recess. while Senators l Clarke. Camden, Bankhead. Hardwick Hitchcock, O'Gorman aud Vardaman the seven democratic insurgents Etood solidiy with the fe publican ninoriry.s | Unable to recess or adjourn. the op- position was forced 10 resume debate | Senator Lodge opened the discussion declaring that no vote on the Fletcher motion would be permitted if 1t pos sibly could be avoided.
 Jones Takes Floor
 When the night session was assured l Senator Jones of Washington took the 1 floor and launched into a speech de- signed to extend throughout the night Senator Jones declared he would talk
 until March 4, if 1t was physically pos sible, and necessary to defeat the bill Few senators on either side remained in the chamber after o'clock, leadera of both parties having left men on guard in case it should be necessary to send for endorsements. Scores of sen- ators prepared to spend the night In committee rooms adjacent to the Sen. ate chamber.
 Senator Colt who followed Senator
 Jones, declared the shipping project. ii enacted, was certain to produce inter- l national complications. The creation o! a shipping corporation, he added, could | not relieve the United States of its responsibilities of neutrality as SOW ereign nation.
 Senator DuPont took the same posi- 1 tion as to the probability of interna- tional complications. "The 4pretense that
 this government can escape its liability | by hiding behind a corporation of its own creation" he said, lis absolutely
 untenable."
 1 The senator declared not only vir-
 tually the entire republican party, but | also many democrats through the coun. !, try opposed the enactment of the ship. ping bill.
 | Senator Fletcher's motion directed ths commerce committee to return the bill
 to the Senate with the two amendments
 agreed upon in caucus which, 1t Is un. derstood. will be acceptable to the pro.
 gressive republican senators, Norris, La.
 Toilette and Kenyon. As amended ths administration leaders are confident thu
 bill can be passed If the republican
 leaders will let it reach a vote. This tho
 minority senators insist they will not
 do. Senators Shoot and Gallinger said
 tonight they had talent and materia
 enough to keep the subject before tn,
 Senate until noon of March 4,s if ths democrats do not withdraw the bill. l The amendment to guard agains
 breach of neutrality stipulated in thu Fletcher motion would read that "ir
 making purchases of ships during ths
 continuance of the present European xr~utamv.~I n~ uss~> NS>-