Evening star., 1915-02-10
Anticipating Senate Break,
May Attach Purchase Bill
to Weeks Measure.
UPPER HOUSE ALREADY
HAS PASSED THE LATTER
Gore Amendment Also May Be Acted
on to Prevent Failure
at Sessions End.

Threatened with a break In the sup.
port Of the administration ship pur-
chase bill, because some Senate leaders
feel that the republicans havs shown
strength to prevent a vote in this Con-
gress. aftor establishing o new record
for continuous session. President Will
son and his party advisers turned to-
day to other means Of securing enact
ment of this ship purchase measure
before March 4. Il was proposed to
have the House adopt the Gore substi-
tute to the bill SO there would be no
delay at the end Of the session should
action be obtained in the Senate or to
pass the ship bill as an amendment to
the Weeks bill, which is already passed
oy the Senate and is now pending be-
fore the House committee on naval af-
fairs. The Weeks bill provides for the
use or naval vessels in carrying mail
and freight.
Foliowlng the visit of Representative
Underwood, democratic House leader, at
In the Capitol that the President con-
templates calling a special session Of Con-
gress March 8. if the ship purchase bill
IaIs 10 pass at the present session, which
expires march T. Representative Under
wood's colleagues in the House are of the
opinion that the bill will fail, and are
planning for long stay in Washington.
AT the Wn1te House 1t is denied that an
extra session has been determined upon.
Break in Senate Threatened.
The break in the Senate threatened
when Senator Norris of Nebraska. who
last night voted with the democratic SUD-
porters of tho ship bill against an ad-
1ournment OF the Senate, said today that
ne was prepared to vote to lay aside the
ship purchase bill in order to get through
other important legislation.
Inc republicans have demonstrated
their ability to keep up the debate
wltnout let-up during the continuous
session which Is nov on its third dav'
said Senator Norris. "If this ship bill is
NNIpt oetore the Senate continuously till
March =, and is not passed even then.
number of important reform meas
ures which could be enacted into law
az thls session will die, among them
an sne seamen's bill. now in conference,
ana The convict labor bill"
he said, too, that his resolution pro-
wong Tor an investigation of the SEN
dtoriai primaries and elections in Penn
sylvanla and Illinois should be passed
at the present session.
Norris May End Struggle.
so close is the vote that this change
on the part of Senator Norris may
bring to an end the long struggle to
get the ship purchase bill passed at
the present session. He declared that
II the President would call an extra
session he would support the ship bill
at that time to the limit of his ability
II Senator Kenyon, another progress
sive republican. who is in favor of en-
acting the ship bill into law. should
Join with Senator Norris in this bolt
the ship bill is doomed so far as the
present session is concerned
During the morning hours of today's
session of the Senate, Senator Towns
end of Michigan held the floor. talk ng
against the ship purchase bill. He took
up the debate when Senator Sherma n
of Illinois yielded the floor after speak
ing for about nine hours without
let-up.
Leaders on both sides insisted that
there was no change in the situation
that the fight would continue fndef1-
nitely. Senator Simmons. one of the
administration leaders, said that he
looked for another all-night session of
the Senate tonight. The republicans
are prepared to go right ahead with the
debate.