The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-10-15
Purpose of Secretary Nc
Adoo's Speech at In
dianapolis
PRESIDENT WILL
GIVE ENDORSEMENT
Hope to Gain by Uniting
with the Defense
Program

Washington, 0ct.@l5~-IThe speech Of
Secretary McAdoo at Indianapolis on
Wednesday night has brought the mer-
chant marine problem to the front again
The administration undoubtedly will
lend its hearty support to the plan out
lined by the secretary. The expectation
is that the president will give his form
al Endorsement in his address to Congress
at the opening of the session. With the
consent Of his Democratic leaders in the
legislative body the programme will be
made party measure, and its enact
ment by the new Congress will be Wig
orously urged.
Whether the proposed legislation,
somewhat modified from that offered
last winter, will have strength enough
to carry it through Congress remains to
be seen. The feeling here is that the
administration probably has added some
strength to the programme by connect
ing it up with the subject of national
defense. In its essence the proposal now
made by the administration differs from
the ship purchase bill OF last winter
only in that the government -owned ships
would form a naval auxiliary.
1t was pointed out here yesterday that
by associating the ship purchase scheme
with the national defense programme,
the opportunity would be offered for a
trade in votes. In other words, the adj
vocates OF the establishment of a fed
eral shipping board would, in all prob.
ability, be able to gain some support
for their legislation by agreeing to CO.
operate with the forces in Congress ia !
voring large appropriation for national
defense. The one thing now certain Is
that the merchant marine problem will
be one of the big ones before the Con-
gress at the approaching session. 1t Is
a question about which there is great
lack of unanimity.
The Chamber of Commerce of the
United States, representing more than
700 commercial organizations, is opposed
to the principle of government owner
ship in any form. The recent referen-
dun vote taken by that body shows this
conclusively. The organization aifiliat.
ing with the national chamber expressed
preference for outright subsidies. 1t
is well understood that the chief pur-
pose OF the transeontinental trip of the
secretary of the treasury is to try to
convince business men that the new pro-
posal of the administration should be
accepted. 1t is assumed that the Repub- |
lican leaders in Congress will oppose this
modified ship purchase programme as
vigorously as they opposed the purchase
bin Of last winter. Evidently the ad-
expects to rely to consid.
cradle extent on the argument that il
must be this plan proposed by Secretary
McAdoo or nothing. The president. so Il II
Is asserted, is not likely ever to give his \
support to programme for outright
subsidy. III
Apparently men who have large sums
Of money invested in the shipping in.
iustry win oppose the proposed legisla-
ton. They maintain that its adoption HI
would mean the abandonment of the
principle Of private enterprise in the
shipping business. The bill would stand VI
ess chance Of passage in the House than u
n the Senate, owing partly to the small. III
T Democratic margin in the lower U
branch.