Evening star., 1915-11-14
WILL AID
PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM
Senator Weeks Sure His Party Will
Meet Presidents Views, Ex-
cept in Shipping.

NEW YORK, November 13.--In an ad-
dress before the Academy of Political
Science at the Hotel Astor last even
ing, Senator John W. Weeks of Mas
sachusetts predicted that the republi
cans in Congress will cooperate with
President Wilson on preparedness.
There should be no partisanship on
the matter of preparedness" said Sena-
tor Weeks. The President is carrying
the olive branch to republicans. He
will be met with endeavor to do the
things necessary to enable the coun-
try to defend ITSELF
He went on to say, however, that re-
publicans would not permit this CO.
operation to extend to the question of
the administration ship purchase bill
under the guise of a measure for pre-
paredness. He was applauded when he
said that he was emphatically opposed
to having the government enter the
shipping business, and that there was
no possibility that the republicans
would ever favor it.
Government Weak in Business.
Il am opposed to the government go
ing into business declared Senator
Weeks. 81 am opposed to it because
the government is the least effective
business agency in the world. 1t was
never organized to do business. 1t was
organized for duties that are govern
mental and nothing else.
"a careful study of governmental
and transportat Lon in those countries
where there are state owned and OPP
Grated railroads demonstrates conclu-
sively that government is much less
defective agency for such purposes than
private corporations. This would be
particularly true in Il government like
ours, where political conditions and
changes would at once become an i'm
portant factor in the results and would
certainly prevent satisfactory financial
returns. Whenever a private railroad
has gone into the hands of govern
ment, the cost of running it has jump
ed at a tremendous rate.
"On the other hand, 1 believe in the
cooperation of the government with
private enterprises, such as shipping.
1t is absolutely essential, from the
standpoint of the navy, that ther.
should be suitable ships in operation
which can be drawn on in time OF
need, and it can be completely demon
strated that If this government rem
dered sufficient aid to private lines o.
LAST steamers covering all the princi-
sells to be constructed under the direc-
tion of the navy and to be at their
command in case of need, the saving
to the government would be equivalent
to the aid given.
Furthermore, we need men for our
naval reserve. This in another reason
,or encoura cement to the upbuilding
of our merchant marine and to increase
that part of our population which en-
gage in seafaring life.
Merchant Marine Needed.
I'VE need u merchant marine for
mercantile and naval purposes; we
should repeal any legislation which,
like portions of the seaman's bill, mill
tate against it's DEVELOPMENT: we
should follow the practice of all other
nations. which has resulted in the de-
velopment of shipping, by giving suf-
.icient aid to overcome the difference
in cost which stands as a handicap
against US: such aid should only ap-
ply in cases where the operations cam
not be conducted profitably, and only
continue as long as conditions prevail,
such aid being based on the service
performed in carrying mails and fur
any governmental operations which
place government owned and con-
trolled ships in competition with pri-
vately owned and operated ships should
not be countenanced, the judgment and
experience of experts of all kinds on
this subject should be sufficient to de-
ter our taking such a hopelessly fatal
step: as The navy needs aux liaries even
more than any other facility, amy meas
ure taken to increase it's efficiency
should give first consideration to and
be Influenced by the development of a
merchant marine"