The Sentinel=record., 1915-01-31
MANY OF THE SENATORS HAD
BEEN UP FOR TWENTY
NINE HOURS.
TROUBLE PICTURED By LODGE
Efforts Of Republicans to Prevent
Passage of Ship Purchase Bill the
Greatest Parliamentary Struggle
That Haas Occurred in Years.

Washington Ian. @0-An armistice
in the battle on the administration
shipping bin in the senate came to-
night after one of the most strenuous
parliamentary struggles congress has
known in recent years
From II o'clock yesterday morning
all through laet night and today and
into another might the contest pro-
ceeded with a spirit of determination
little short of desperation on both
sides, until the wearied leaders
agreed to recess at midnight until 10
a m Monday
Always Just ahead was a final vote
on the shipping bill which would
break the senate deadlock and re-
lease the blockade of legislation
The presiding officer had ordered the
ayes and nays on the vote, and no
further parliamentary device was
available to the opposing republicans
Physical endurance alone remained to
hold back the taking of the vote.
Senator Lodge reiterated that if in.
termed ships We're bought by the
United States It would plunge the
country into international cOmpliea.
tions of the gravest character Great
Britain had already protested he
said. against the transfer of the
Dacia
Can the senator tell MS" queried
Senator Gallinger, 'why the Dacia
does not sail?"
THE senator asks me to rend the
veil of mystery which hangs over our
foreign relations but | cannot do it,
answered Mr.. Lodge "What I know
is that Great Britain has protested
against this transfer; Russia and
France have made similar protests
which are now on file at the state de
parment That means that Great
Britain, France and Russia, once
should such ships go to sea, will hold
them subject to capture as prizes"
Mr.. Lodge said he had heard it said
the administration believed Great
Britain. France and Russia would not
do what they said when it came TO
the point. That. he declared was the
same mistaken theory that had sent
troops to Vera Cruz in the belief that
landing there would not be resisted
when it came to the point
And if this course is pursued, thai
of buying these imprisoned ships,
Mr.. Lodge concluded, Il say you
have started this nation on the high
way of war not with one nation, but
witl four"
Senator Kern was on his feet as
Nj Lodge concluded. with the first
visible evidence OF a draw in the long
parliamentary battle
81 move, said he, that the senate
take a recess at u o'clock tonight
until 10 o'clock Monday morning"
There was no dissent and the mo-
tion prevailed by unanimous consent.
Thus after % hours of continuous de-
bate a breathing spell was promised
at midnight, the thirty seventh con
tluous hour of the session.
Senator Perkins declared that the
present American coastwise merchant
marine was answering loyalty to the
need for oversee shipping and there
was no reason why it should be in
terfered with
The senator argued that ships pur-
chased must be classed either as prl
yate or public vessels, and as private
vessels they would lose the immua.-
ties and rights of public craft. On
the other hand he contended that the
belligerents would not grant them
freedom from search because they
were public vessels and all that
would be left to the United States
would be to go to war to protect its
rights
Senator Smith OF Michigan followed
Senator Perkins.
Although the democrats proposed
the recess over Sunday to interrupt
the 37-hour continuous debate. admin
istration leaders insisted that the ac-
ticn meant no letup in their determi
nation to press the bill.
we agreed to the recess because
OF Sunday" said Senator Simmons,
Just as we did in the filibuster
against the rivers and harbors appro-
pration bill last fall But beginning