Evening journal., 1915-02-10


very least a year to accomplish. how
far safer and more economical is the
suggestion of the New York Chamber
OF Commerce that the government
should induce private parties to build
new ships by agreeing for a term OF
years to pay them q bonus equal 30
the. excess of the cost Of construction
az home over the cost OF construction
abroad. Such a plan would involve
a comparatively small outlay Of gov
crnment funds and at once give en-
ployment to thousands Of idle and
needy workmen all over the country;
and. when coupled with proper
amendments to our navigation laws,
would 20 far TO reestablish our mer-
Giant marine in the shortest possible
time In brief. Mr. President. my
Judgment is that private enterprise
should be encouraged. not stifed.
Another question which arises,
even more serious in its consequences,
is the precedent which would be estab-
lishcd by the passage OF the bill. II
the government is to create a corpora
lion in which il is to own at least 81
per cent of the stock and ultimately
takes over all transportation OF goods
Z
able result direct precedent is IS
tablished for the government to like
wise absorb and take over all inter-
osts which transport goods by land.
The present Secretary of State. some
years ago. advocated a measure OF
this very kind. and it would not be
at all surprising II il we're seriously
proposed later to create National
Railroad Corporation for such pur-
! pose in which the government was
to be the controlling stakeholder
"A member of the cabinet is al
ready advocating the public owner
ship of all telegraph and telephone
: systems OF the country. and Mr..
! Walsh. chairman of the United States
{ Commission on Industrial Relations,
/ in q recent address says that the con-
troll of the coal fields in this country
should be taken from the hands of all
private corporations and vested in
/ the government Mr.. President, II
the management Of all these vast in
tcrests is TO be under government
control. what unlimited power would
be given TO the chief magistrate Of
the nation. and what revolutionary
changes would be made in our insti-
tutionl Those who objected to a
third presidential term would
promptly be called 'reactionLries,
and no doubt VIC would have before
long fourth and fifth terms and pro-
badly presidents for life. AS to the
rights Of the States. they would be-
come purely imaginary!
"I shall now endeavor to briefly
discuss some of the international
features which are germane TO the
present bill. The 55th Article Of the
Declaration of London of February
26. 1909 provides that:
1.-The transfer of an enemy vessel
10 neutral flag. effected before the
outbreak of hostilities, is valid, un-
unless il is proved that such transfer
was made in order TO evade the con.
sequences to which an enemy vessel
as such, is exposed.
where the transfer was effecte,
more than thirty days before the out
: break of hostilities. there Is an alb
solute presumption that IL is valid i
il is unconditional. complete. and il
conformity with the laws of the cOun
tries concerned. and il its effect Is
such that neither the control of. mol
the profits arising from the employ.
ment of. the vessel remain in the
same hands as before the trans
| fer
"In regard TO the transfer of an
enemy vessel TO neutral flag after
the outbreak of hostilities, the 56tl
Article of the above Declaration lays
down the following rule:
"'The transfer Of an enemy vesse
to neutral flag effected after thI
outbreak of hostilities. is void unless
it is proved that such transfer wal
not made in order to evade the con
, sequences to which an enemy YES
sell as such. is exposed
while il is true that this Declara
tion was never ratified by the Presi
dent of the United States and con
sequently does not bind our govern
ment. it is important to note that tn
principles enunciated in the Article
lust quoted have been accepted b.
: Great Britain. France. Russia, ant
Germany as the international law il
, the case. These countries are tn
most important participants in th
: present European conflict. and wer
the United States to purchase Ger
man vessel and put it under the pro
lection of our flag, the other belli
gcrents would inevitably ignore sucl
e action on our part and be guided b,
D the provisions of the 55th and 56tl
70 Articles of the Declaration referre
p to by which they are bound. Tn
. pretense that this government ca
p escape its liability by hiding behind
e corporation of its own creation, is, O
4 previously stated. absolutely unten
: able. Unless the purchase OF Tn
G vessels of any bolligerent be express
d ~ prohibited, as proposed in tn
Il amendment which was offered by IN
n senior Senator from Massachusetts
# there is very great danger of our be
4 ing drawn into international compli
cations and possibly of being force
j. to take sides in the present Europea
n war. a step to which the immens
j. majority OF our American people ar
r inalterably opposed.
IS "Mr. President. the occupant of tn
S exalted Office, who, IL he had nc
: drawn up, has proposed and inspire
Il the measure VIC are now discussin
= and upon which he so urgently in
i sists. has seen fit 10 assert that tn
J. 'self-styled friends of business as n
c calls those members OF the Sena.
y who do not agree with his views
IS are seeking 10 defy the nation Their
J. arc all kinds of assertions. Mr.. Pre-
k sidcnt. including those with whic
e We are all familiar. either made Z
s. utter ignorance of the facts, or j
o utter disregard Of the facts-usuall
l. known as bluff Then there ar