Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-13
sH|P--B|LL FIGHT SHIFTS
FROM SENATE TO HOUSE
Measure Displaced in Upper Branch,
and Cloture Rule Is
Taken Up.
THIS ALSO MEETS EikIBUsrER
Administration Forces Begin Work
on Compromise Measure in Hope
OF Uniting Divided Democrats on
Winning Republican Votes.

WASHINGTON. February 12-Thc
. shlp-purchase bill fight shifted to-day
| from the Senate to the House. In the
senate the measure. blocked by Repub-
mean opposition. was displaced as un-
finished business. and cloture rule,
designed to terminate forcibly the fill
buster, was taken up
Administration forces began work OH
! compromise House bill. but House
/ leaders were far from confident it
would unite the divided Senate Demo
Gratis or win Republican support. They
declared the administration did not
conccde enough In the proposed COM
promise to secure It's passage.
inc cloture rule presented in the
Senate met the same Republican fill
buster that had blocked the ship bill.
and conference OF Senate Democrats
was called for tomorrow to consider
the ndvisability OF continuing the fight
Tor the cloture proposal, or OF aban-
doninG 1t and returning to n direct con-
test for the shipping bill
WILSON FLATLY REJECTS
KITCIIIN COMPROMISE
Ihe new bill in the House was de-
Veloped after Postmas;er-Gc General Bur-
lesson. for the administration went
to the Capitol and definitely rejected
the compromise measure advanced by
representative Kitchin. Tho IIitchin
proposal contemplated making the shin
Dill temporary emergency measure,
ana would have taken the government
out OF the shipping business two years
after the termination Of the Europenn
"'r MY. kitchin declared passage of
this measure through both branches of
Congress was assured
The administration Countrrpronor,I
as II was being framed tonight. would
organize shipping board with an an
preparation of $4,000. 600 to engage in
shipping for Il period ending two years
after the wars termination. Then tho
ships would be turned over to thc
secretary of tho Navy TO he leased or
operated In the merchant service In his
discretion. This plan TO place the gov
eminent permanently in the Shipping
business was the point tho admlnistrn-
tioh insisted on. 1t IS the provision
TOO. against which the Senate Rapubu
cans hfhuster chiefly IS aimed. House
leaders tonight said that provision
would defeat the measure In the Senate
Ihe administration proposal. which
embraces the Weeks bill for tho or-
gani%ation of merchant marine naval
auxiliary, the Gore compromiso ahIn-
ping Dill and amendments will be in
troduced in the House next week.
WILL. GO BEFORE SENATE
AS SENATE AMENDMENT,
Passage of tho Weeks BILL with the
administration amendments. would
place the compromise before the Senate
as House amendment to n bill ALREADY
passed.
Representative Kitchin said to-nIgh,
that ne mad no hope of the administra-
'ioh compromise passing the Senate
II may have moral effect upon the
senate and the country he added.
however, and may strengthen the adj
mlhlS'ration support in the Senate"
The Weeks bill would provide for
the establishment of the United STAT.
Navy mail lines between the United
states and South America and between
the United States and the countries OF
Europe: 1t would authorize the Score
'arE OF the Navy 10 employ avnilab BILE
naval vessels at his discretion in gen
eFai mail, freight and passenger bust
ness.
Inc ship purchase bill to be added
10 tho Weeks measure is the one agreed
on In the Senate caucus With rcla-
tion to the purchase of belligerent-
owned merchant ships in American har-
bors. tho only Limitation would DO that
IN buying vessels during continuance
OF the European war. mo purchase
snail oe mado in n way which will dis
turb the present conditions of ncu-
trality."