New Britain herald., 1915-01-22
SHIP PURCHASE BILL MIGHT CAUSE WAR Measure, If Passed, Will Be an
 Unneutral Act, Says Lodge. PURPOSE TO LUY GERMAN SHIPS

PURPUI IO EUY GERMAN SHIPS Claims It Is Rather Dangerous Busi- ness For State Department to Ap- prove of Making Test Case By Sending DaCia to Sea.
 Washington, Jan. 22.-Attributing 1 to the administration an intention to buy German ships interned in Ameri- can ports If the ship purchase bill IS passed, Senator Lodge today declared in the senate that the measure distance of war, not with England i alone, but with France, Russia and Japan"
 He quoted from house committee hearings to show that Secretary Me Adoo had practically admitted that the purpose of the bill was to buy the German ships laid up in Boston and New York. If such were not the purpose, Senator Lodge suggested that the impression now general could
 
 he said he believed had already been voted down in committee, to debar the government from such purchase. An Unneutral Act. ITO buy the German ships interned in these ports, and relieve their own CTS from the heavy daily expense in caring for them and to hand over to them thirty or forty millions of money belonging to the American people," said Senator Lodge, "would be a great and direct assistance to one of the bellgerents in the war now raging. It would be an unneu- tral act and very readily might be construed as a hostile act and an ac- tual breach of neutrality
 Senator Lodge stated he had been informed that the administration had determined to. send the Dacia, a Ger man-owned ship purchased by Amer1 cans and transferred to American registry, abroad to furnish test case Tt seems to be a rather dangerous business to make test cases of this character in time of war, when bel ligerent governments are protesting against the action, and for the state department to approve sending forth a vessel, which, as late as Jan. 13, our war risk bureau declined to insure"
 Not TO Be Recognized.
 He said that France and Russia had held consistently that the trans fer of the flag from belligerent to a neutral, after hostilities had begun was not to be recognized, and Eng land, the same, although Sir Edward Grey last summer made some modi- fcations of his opposition to the sale, if the ships were not used in trade with Europe. In view of the pres ent empty cargo space going to South America. Senator Lodge said the United States could not desire the ships for that traffic but only for en- emies of Germany would still regard the ships as German, and liable to be sunk.
 The emergency in the shipping business, which had once been ad- vanced as a reason for buying the in- termed ships, Senator Lodge declared no longer supported the purchase, because ships, were going empty to South Anne erica and discharging facil- ities were not to be obtained for those ships now entering the crowd ed open ports of Europe.
 UnSuited For Purposes.
 Taking up a list of interned boats, he declared that with two or three exceptions these vessels were unsuited for the purposes the administration had in mind and their purchase would be an intolerable waste of money.
 Why is it so earnestly desired to buy them, for with care and effort we could get cargo carriers from our coast wise trade or from other neu- tra1 nations?" Senator Lodge in quired. We could pick up ships of the proper type here and there and yet it is evident that the plan of the bill and tn plan of the administration is to buy the German ships in block, very large number of them. Why? l confess I am entirely un- able to answer the question, and do not know that there is anything behind this bill except the desires of the administration. I am certain, however, that there are no good req sons or arguments in it's favor, and I am sure that to allow it to become law without some provision protect ing us against the purchase of the ships of belligerents, and the conse- quent international complications will make it a very bad bill indeed, for the American people. setting aside for the moment all the grave objections of government owner ship.