South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-14
HOLD OPTIONS ON
GERMAN VESSELS?
Republicans Charge Powerful
Interests Are Ready to Pur-
chase Ships If Bill Passes.
Will Continue FiIibuSter.

WASHINGTON. Feb 13.-Senate
democrats in caucus tonight decided
To support a cloture rule. No speci-
fic form of rule was agreed upon and
no vote was taken. Less than a ma
jority of the democrats attended.
Caucus Chairman Kern after adjourn
ment said the action of the caucus
would be binding upon all democrats
unless they assume the responsibility
of boiling The failure of the caucus
10 adopt a concrete form of clOture
permits a latitude that may prevent
the democrats from agreeing among
themselves.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-Republi-
can leaders today privately advised
those in charge of the administration
ship purchase bill that unless it con-
tanned an absolute prohibition against
the purchase of the vessels of any
belligerent, no vote would be per-
mitted on the measure in the senate
and that the filibuster against this
bill and the proposed cloture rule
would continue until March 4. No
other concessions, regardless of their
character. viii swerve republicans
unless this prohibition is included.
Two reasons for their position are
assigned by the republicans:
lISl. lIldl the purchase u DCAAl6 q
ent ships, especially German ships,
now detained in this country to avoid
the consequences of the war. would
violate the United States position of
neutrality and in the present tense
situation, might inflame public Opin
ion beyond the bounds of national
safety The second reason appears to
be more potent with the republicans
than the first. The hints and yelled
- s6nolif M SORT
has been arranged for the purchase
of these German ships cannot longer
be ignored.
Republicans assert that the whole
transaction has a suspicious look. 1t
has been discussed by them in the
cloak room and talked over privately
with democratic senators. They
charge that there is good reason TO
believe that certain powerful inter-
ests in New York in which they say
friends of high official of the gov
eminent are prOminent, either have
obtained options on these vessels or
made loans on them since the war
began. They have told democratic
<aders that they will not permit these
vessels under such suspicious circum-
stances to be unlOaded upon the gov
eminent.
In debate today Sen. Burton said
the value of these ships now detained
in American waters represented an in
vestment Of $125, 900, 600 and that ii
was costing between $65,0O0 and
100000 a day to maintain them. In
response to queries he said there
would be deterioration with regard TO
their hulls, but probably not in the
matter of machinery.
Official notice was taken of these
rumors in connection with this pro-
posed ship purchase in two resolutions
offered by Sen. Burton. One pro-
vided for a committee of five to in
vestigate and ascertain whether any
persons or corporations in this coun-
try had made loans to the owners of
any of these detained ships or had
obtained options thereon and whether
there had been any negotiations look
ing to their sale to the United States.
He also offered a resolution calling
upon the secretary of the treasury for
information particularly as to wheth-
er any tenders Of sale had been made
to any government official; whether
any negotiations had been conducted
for the purchase of neutral owned
ships and whether anyone in the en-
plOy of the government or otherwise
has made advances to the owners of
or secured options on any detained
belligerent-owned ships with the pur-
pose of selling them TO the govern
ment. Under objection both resolu-
tions went over.
Sen. Gore during the morning hour
called up his motion TO discharge the
committee from the consideration of
his ship purchase bill and obtained
the yeas and nays. Had Mr.. Ashurst
been alert the roll call would have
started before the republicans could
have prevented it. This slip, however,
permitted Sen. Burton to get the
floor TO speak against the motion
When o'clock arrived it went TO the
calendar losing its parliamentary ad-
vantage and Mr.. Burton spent the re-
mainder of the afternoon talking on
the pending clOture resolution.
REGULAR SPRING WEATHER |