New-York tribune., 1915-02-15
WARNED AGAINST
EXTRA SESSION
Members of National Com
mittee Tell Wilson 1t
Will Hurt Party.
FAIL TO CHANGE
PRESIDENTS MIND
Executive Determined to Pass
Ship Bill Now or Call New
Congress Early.
lFrom Th. Trbun. Bureau


Washington, Feb. l4.-Firmly con-
WINGED that an extra session OF Con-
gress would be frsughtt with peril to
their party, members Of the Democratic
National Committee warned President
Wilson last night that the abandon
mcnt of the ship purchase bill was
preferable to incurrng the risks of an
extra session.
Despite this advice, which is similar
10 that carried to the White House
during the last week By Democratic
leaders Of the House, President Will
son is authoritatively declared still de-
termined to force action on the ship
ping bill at this session, or, failing in
that, to call an extra session.
That an extra session is inevitable
II the shipping fight is carried beyond
the present week was predicted to-
night by a confidant Of the President,
Who has told Mr.. Wilson the same
thing. He privately admits that the
situation finds the Presidents indomi-
table will pitted against that OF dozens
OF legislators and Democratic politi-
clans.
Cannot Have Both.
"The shipping bill must be aban-
doned Immediately" a Democratic lead
er said, "if there are TO be results on
appropriations. II the House, against
the wishes Of the rank and file, goes to
the tr uble OF passing this bill Wednes-
da IL cannot be shelyed as soon as it
reaches the Se.ate. That would be
unfair TO the House. On the other
hand, IL the House bill is taken Up and
debated in the Senate for a respectable
length of time, it means an extra ses-
sion"
Regardless Of whether there is an
extra session, Mr.. Wilson intends to
make the ship fight an issue in his
coming speechmsking tour. II Con-
gress is sitting, the President will seek
to create public sentiment to force &C
ton. II there is no extra session, he
will begin to shape public sentiment
for a resumption of the struggle next
winter.
Unless the European situation for
bids. President Wilson probably will
leave Washington for San Francisco
about March 10. He will go by the
on the way. After week at the ex-
position, he will return by the North
ern route, using ten days in the return
journey.
Senate Democrats admitted to-day
that the proposed closure fight ap-
peared to be as hopeless as the strug-
gle for the ship purchase bill. The
Senate majority is as far from being
a unit on closure as on the ship meas
ure and an attempt TO impose gag
rule will probably call out considerable
opposition on the Democratic side, de-
spite the dictum that it is the sense
of the party that it should be made.
Closure Expected to Fail.
Nearly every important filibuster in
the Senate has been followed by an
efforts to adopt a closure rule, and all
efforts have failed as soon as the cha
grin of defeat has faded away. EXpe-
rienced parliamentarians look for the
same result in the present instance.
Interest Of the Democrats in the pro-
posed gag rule is lukewarm. Some
of them are apposed to it. and others
are Indifferent, and the possibility OF
overriding the determined Republican
opposition under these circumstances
is extremely douDtlul'
OF the present Congress only hfteen
and onc-half working days emain.
Only one appropriation bill has been
passed by the Senate. By working in
harmony, the Democrats and Republi-
cans can pass the appropriation bills.
but the days are now so few that mem
bers who have been signing for relief
from their continuous duties are on
the verge of despair.
For this reason it is expected that
f. last effort to sidetrack the ship pur-
chase bill and the closure figh, will be
made this week by motion to proceed
to the consideration of one Of the ap-
propriation bills. If it carries, Congress
may complete its routine labors before
March 4. II it fails, long extra ses-
sion of the new Congress, running far
into the summer, will be inevitable.
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