The Washington times., 1915-02-02
WILSON MAY LOSE HOLD ON PARTY.


the House, while taking a firmer no
WILSON MAY LOS
Seven Democratic Senators having
lined up with the opposition In favor Of
recommitting the bill for revision, the
Administration must either win back
some of these or else set enough Repub.
licans to save its majority.
To be defeated on the motion for re-
commitment would very probably end
the chance to pass the bill at this
session. That Is exactly what the op-
position hopes to accomplish.
Defeat on this measure. which the
President has made SO determinedly a
test Of faith. would. In the opinion OF
some Of his opponents. weaken his hold
on his party SO much that 1t might even
be the beginning Of a serious movement
against his renomination; a movement
not by any means impossible. II the
feelings Of many Democrats throughout
the country may be taken as basis for
Judgment. That the Administration has
been losing hold on the mass OF voters
In the months since the November cleo
ton, is generally admitted even by
Democrats who ardently support the
President and believe he represents sthe
sole chance Of continuance In power.
May Become Campaign Issue.
But 1t Is also to be said that there is
no unanimity in the belief that defeat
on the ship purchase bill would inJure
the President before the country. That
would depend on what the country final
" decided about the merits OF the quar- :
to md
a fcw, either-sincerely believe that II
this mea sure Is defeated. and II the Ad-
rninistration appeals to the country on
it. and makes 1t a chief Issue In the
campaign for denomination ana re-eieS-
ton. then the country will take the Az, AZ,
ministration side: e. aha av;nG M h"en 'Sr defeat.
ed in a Congress that ne can Thereafter
characterize as "reactionary.' :
The ultimate political consequences
then, depend on the verdict that the
country shall finally reach concernnis
secret that some OF the Republicans
from the more radical states have mis-
giyings as to the final shaping OF senti.
ment at home; and this is true even OF
men who are fghting the measure.
They would like to be more certain thaa
their neople will see the thing as they
do.
Shipping Facilities Needed.
That there Is need for more shipping
facilities IL this country is to meas
ure IN to the opportunity rendered to
II nv the commercial world just no"
| ia questioned by nobody. Whether TINS
measure will provide those facilities ahc
whether it Is the best way to pro'ade
them Is the question.
JuIv last, before the war was ever
threatened, a bushel Of wheat could be
sent from New York to Lverpooi ~ 10.
half a cent; now 1t costs cents. th'
same bushel. destined to ROTTERDAM
had to pay 1 cent on July l; no" u
must pay cents. .r..no,d
,nciv Increased. The rate on bale o
cotton to Liverpool from New YORK ma!
gone m from 81 to s: to Rotterdam
from Sis to $40. To European ports
IRON ph'ade,ph,a ;1eP the .o s1sISn F The m s
w ures ~ are from a report by secretar!
| NcAdoo. Even greater increases ar
| reported by individual shippers. wh;l
] II is complained that In many cases IN
| rate offered Is lmmateriai' 'he snip
| are not to be had.
Shortage Due To Two Causes.
| Shortage Of shipping is due to tw'
chief causes. First. German merchan
ships are out Of business; so are Aus
trian. They are tied up in home ports
interned in those OF neutra's' or de
stroycd.
| Second. the countries that have com
mand of the seas has Communicated
great number of vessels for naval aux
| Mary service. GOLFERS, transports Ten
| ders and the like.
, Besides all this--which in itself woul
not make so great an impression on tn
worlds available shipping facilities a
might be imagined-there is the FAC
that a ship can't do so much busines
now as in time of peace. There ar
| numerous reports. for example, tina
ships sent to British and French port
have been compelled to wait for man
days, even for weeks together. to b
unloaded because or imPossibility TO ge
men to do the work. The men are a
| war -,
| Again merchant ships are constantl
being held up by cruisers, delayed an
annoyed; some are taken into ports
before prize courts. perhaps ship o
things add to the cost Of ocean trans
portation, and vastly add to its risks
| which must be covered by insurance
| and Insurance must be at excessiv
rates.
Delay and Risk Serious Factors.
The probabilities are that If all tn
facts were available 1t would be foun
that the lack of ships is not so serou
as this factor of delays and eXcessiv
risk The merchant marines of til
world aggregate about 240C0 ships O
over 100 tons each, and 1000 of thes
float the British flag. Two thousan
bore the German and only about n
the Austrian flag. The other grea
shipping countries. Japan, Norway, Swe
den. France. Denmark. and the Unite
: States, are free enough to use h
oceans, subject, OF course. to the sever
restrictions that war imposes.
Putting it another way, the martini
tonnage of the world is stated as 43
100000 tons. OF which 2O,OOo.GOO tons
British, nearly 5000. 900 German, 1000, ,Ol
American, LEST, 600 Dutch 100000 Jar
nnnese. almost 10000 Norwegian
100000 French. 600. 900 Austrian, /, 800
GOO Italian. with no othcr>country foo