Evening star., 1915-01-05
SENATE S|DETRACKS
SHIP PURCHASE BILL
Opposition Members Continue
to Plan for Delay and De-
feat of Measure.

The administration bill for the pur-
chase of merchant vessels and their
operation by the government was side
tracked In the Senate today, together
with the urgent deficiency appropria-
tion bill. Senator Works of California
soon after the Senate met began Il
speech on the public health service
which probably will require the whole
day for delivery.
In the meantime senators opposing
he ship purchase bill continued to plan
FOR the defeat and delay of that meas
urc.
They are determined that the bill
shall not come to a vote during the
present session of Congress. Unless the
democrats cease to urge the passage
of the bill, it is highly probable the
appropriation bills will be much de-
layed and their passage perhaps pre-
vented before adjournment of Congress
March 4. While the democratic leaders
have announced that they will lay aside
the ship purchase bill whenever an ap-
preparation bill is ready for cons1dera-
ton, the republicans opposing the ship
ping bill are quite ready to talk on the
appropriation bills indefinitely so as to
postpone the consideration of the ship
ping bill
File Adverse Report.
Minority members of the commerce
committee yesterday afternoon filed an
adverse report on the bill, written by
Senator Burton of Ohio and indorsed
by Senators Nelson. Perkins, Smith of
Michigan and Oliver, declaring that the
proposed bill would not relieve ship
ping conditions. because it would be
impossible for the government to get
ships enough to do any good. 1t point
ed also to dangers of international
complications arising. declaring that
every craft set afioat by the govern
rnent would add one more risk Of our
being drawn into the present war
Senator Fletcher. who has charge of
the bill, and who recently conferred
with President Wilson concerning 1t,
urged action upon the measure in a
lengthy speech. He declared the war
had produced ship famine" and that
the interests of all people in the United
States demanded that the government
take immediate action to supply ships
to carry American products demanded
IN the markets of Europe and South
America. He instanced the fact that
cotton sold at 10 cents a pound in Ger
many when it was bringing cents in
The United States. Germany would
consume 100000. 900 pounds of cotton if
she could get it, he said. and the south
had fifteen times that amount to sell.
Profit to Foreign Ships.
When the war began. Senator Fletch-
er declared. England had 5000 and
Germany 1000 vessels in the overseas
trade. while the United States had only
six. He said that American merchants
gave annually to foreign ship owners
100000 in ocean freights. Charter
rates here had increased in some cases
100 per cent since the war began, he
added. and ships under the American
lag were not obtainable at any price.
The emergency bill opening Ameri-
can registry to foreign-built craft,
Senator Fletcher said, had not met the
needs of American manufacturers. He
read lists of the 105 ships which trans
ferred their flags to show that none
was a first-class cargo boat; that more
than so per cent of these were ships of
companies which needed them for their
own business and consequently added
nothing to the facilities for the trans
portation of general cargoes.