Evening star., 1915-02-14
HOUSE DEMOCRATS
ARE WIDELY SPLIT
ON SHIP PURCHASE
Planned. to Send Bill Through
Under Whip, Gag
and Spur.
CROP OF NEW LEADERS
MAKES APPEARANCE
Caucus Expected to Bind Party Men,
bers to Vote for
Measure.
SENATE CLOTURE POSSIBLE
Presidents Followers Decide to Press
Rule Upon Body-Situation
Is Discussed From
All Angles.
SENATE CLoTURE POSSIBLE

The sudden shift in the ship pur-
chase fight from the Senate TO the
House has displayed rift in the demo-
cratic ranks on that side of the Capl-
tol which has every appearance of be-
ing wider and more serious than was
ever the split on the Panama tolls
question.
The quick developments in the House
leading up to the framing of plan 10
send a ship purchase bill through that
body this week under whip, gag ana
spur has shown a crop of new lead
ers." lust as the Panama tolls fight did
A caucus that promises to be demo-
cratic vesuvius is called for tomorrow
night The open declaration that the
fight Is nothing but government own
ership row has been heard on the floor
for the first time, the statement being
made over and over again yesterday
by Representative Dies, a Texas demo-
crat who thus absolves himself in ad-
vance from his party's caucus action.
Politicians Concerned.
As interesting as are the details Of
the new leaders," to shove through
the Weeks Gore Padgett Adamson
Webb combination rule and ship bill in
six hours on Thursday without the
slightest chance of an amendment, pol
dticians are much more concerned over
the obvious effect on the democratic
party organiZa .iCn which the House
fracaS will have. In the first place, the
men in the House who are looked on to
como TO- the front in party fights are
lined up on opposite sides. Notable ex-
amples Of leaders against the ship pur-
chase bill, under any guise. are Repre-
aenfatfveS Page of North Carolina
Sherley of Kentucky, Fitzgerald Of
New York, Garner Of Texas and Kitch-
in of North Carolina. the newly select
ed floor leader for the next Congress.
1T is assumed that no northern demo
crat, with one or two exceptions, will
vote for the bill in caucus. at least
The President is now relying on the
new leadership" of Representative
Adamson of Georgia. Padgett of Ten
nessee, Webb of North Carolina, Alex
ander of Missouri and Henry of Texas
Special Gag Rule.
The plan to get a ship purchase bill
through the House at one sitting in
wolves the reporting of special gag
rule. The compromise measure is a
combination of the Weeks bill. provid-
ing for the use for mail and express
work of certain naval auxiliaries, and
the Gore ship purchase bill, together
with an amendment combining the two
that would preclude further amend
ments. The caucus tomorrow night is
expected to bind the House democrats
together, SO as to enforce support as
party measure Under the rules of the
democratic caucus democrats have to
abide by a caucus unless they have
pledged themselves otherwise to their
constituents. or unless they believe
measure unconstitutional
However. the democrats who have
been opposed to ship purchase right
along are just as much opposed to the
House plan as to any of the previous
plans AS one leader said yesterday:
This bill simply gives them a toe
hold and let's them get a fresh grip.
1 cannot see why the administration
wants to get a record vote in the
House. because 1t will surely show that
The bill can never pass in the next Con-
This compromise measure will not
change a single vote"
See Success for Plan.
On the other hand those fayorinr
snip purchase believe the new scheme
will sail easily through the House.
Senate republicans asserted that the
compromise plan failed to eliminate the
two principal objections and would
meet the same distractions in the Son.
ate as the pending bill In other words
soon as the compromise bill gets out
of the House and into the Senate. The
opponents say the compromise bill now
before the House will permit the DUR
chase Of belligerent owned ships. and
would allow the government to con-
tinue indefinitely in the shipping busi-
ness
That the matter is going to be n
government ownership fight has been
evident to many observers for several
weeks. and verbal duel on that point
was fought in the House yesterday be-
tween Representative Dies of Texas
and Representative Lewis Of Mary
land
Idea Called Socialistic.
That the ship purchase idea is So
cialistic was the text of the Texas con.
xressman's remarks.
Nothing on earth could make me-
commit the political heresy of voting
for government ownership of any
thing said Representative Dies. "and
do not want this Congress to he
stampeded into the dead sea Of social.
ism.
II love to support the President and
TO keep step "ath the party. but you
loose from the principles Of my demo-
cratic fathers and take me into social
ism and government ownership by
telling me that you have to have this
minute more facilities to handle ouI
stuff Once we embark this govern,
ment into socialism and governmen,
ownership there is no turning back
When the government owns a railroat
or these other great facilities it viii
either make a horrible. ghastly fail
ure of government ownership or yo,
will have to change the form of gov
ernment
Representative Lewis defended ths
President. defended government own
(Centinued on Fourth Page.l