The Sentinel=record., 1915-01-26
DECLARES THAT LAW WILL CAUSE SERIOUS INTERNAL
 TlONAL CONTROVERSIES.
SPEECH AROUSED DEMOCRATS
Warned His Colleagues Against Dan ger of Reducing the Senate to a Mere Registering Instead of d Leg islative Body"

Washington, Jan. 25.-Graye fear that the pending government ship purchase biu if carried into effect. would involve the United States in serious international controversies was expressed In the senate today by Senator Root of New York.
 Addressing himself largely to the legal aspects of the measure and what the administration plans to do under it, the senator also charged the democrats with attempting to rush the bill through by brute force and weight of votes" and solemnlv warned his colleagues against the danger of reducing the senate to mere Registering body instead of legislative body"
 Senator Roots speech aroused the majority members. who for several days had remained silent while repub- lican speakers attacked the bill and drew sharp replies from Senators Williams, Stone and Simmons.
 The purpose of the administration. the New York senator asserted. was to buy interned German ships for the proposed government corporation. He attacked the opinion of Solicitor Johnson of tho state department. in this connection and was particularly caustic in commenting upon the atti- tude of Secretary McAdoo of the treasury, declaring ne was filled with apprehension by the idea of put ting vast powers into the hands of a man who thinks there is no ground for difficulty"
 MT. Root went deeply into interna tional questions and pointed out for the period of the war Great Britain. France and Russia had adopted as their rule in modified form of the rule agreed to in the Declaration of London that transfers of ships dur ing the war only could be valid when the owner of such ships had proved that the transfer of such ships was not made to escape the danger of cap ture or other consequences of war.
 None of these great powers will permit citizens of any enemy to rob them of their trade by transfer of ships they are entitled to capture on the high seas, to a neutral flag" he insisted. "We cannot measure the number Of our steps. One unneutra step will lead to further unneutral steps by others until we are in the thing.
 "l am not arguing against buying a ship; but buying an international quarrel with every ship If we are to | maintain neutrality we must hold close to it. If you precipitate this | country into an International contro versy when Europe may feel that we have taken sides we will rend our, selves. The only safe course is to keep out of such controversies"
 Senator Williams, in reply de- clared that in his opinion. Great Britain would be glad to see the en- tire German merchant marine trans ferred to American ownership and that Germany would in time, be glad to see Englands ships in the same position. As to the probability of danger, the Mississippi senator said
 As Washington and Jefferson in the French republican-Napoleonic war kept the United States out of trouble. so will Wilson and Bryan maintain neutrality now l have no idea that those who will control this proposed government ship corporation would be stupid or foolish enough to buy an interned ship of a belligerent without previously by diplomacy finding out if other belligerents objected to it."
 At the outset of his speech Senator Root had referred to the attitude of the democrats on the shipping bill as "a conspiracy of silence" and depre. cated the fact thaat such debate had not been permitted as would enable the country to form correct judg- ment of the measure He expressed regret that any shade of party poli- ties had fallen on this bill, adding:
 "I wish we could consider it not as Americans earnest for the peace Of our country. There is no crime so wicked as consideration of our for eign affairs with view to party ad. vantage
 This assertion drew retort from Senator Williams, who declared he