Evening star., 1915-01-25
BATTLE RESUMED
ON SHIPPING BILL
Lines in the Senate on Admin
istration Measure Are
Closely Drawn.
SPEECH BY SENATOR ROOT
IN OPPOSITION TO BILL
Declares It Embarks Government on
New Departure Based on Re-
versal of Principles.

When the Senate met today it was
with the lines of battle over the gov
ernment ship purchase bill closely
drawn. The democrats having made
the bill a party measure and having
attempted to pledge all the democrats
to vote for 1t. and the republicans hav-
ling announced their determination to
oppose the measure to the extent Of
their powers, the actual struggle over
the measure, which may last until
March 4 or longer, was begun.
| Senator Root Of New York. in accord
ance with notice given by him Friday.
| imm ediately took the floor in opposi-
ton to the ship bill.
| Il hope 1 am not carried away by par
tisan feeling said Senator Root, but
it does not seem to me that this bill.
which would put the United States into
the business of foreign shipping. is re-
ceiving the kind of discussion which
measure of such importance and nov
city ought to have. 1t is very import
ant measure, 1t involves great expense
at a time when We have imposed a
war tax upon the people. and also 1t
embarks the government of the United
| States upon a new departure, based
, upon reversal of principles of govern
| this time.
Judgment of People Not Taken.
mo such change Of principle was in
| the mind of the American people when
the present administration was elected.
J No such change of principle was ever
passed upon at any election by the peo-
pie. Plainly the judgment of the peo-
pie should be taken by the ordinary
methods employed. II there be strength
| in our representative form Of govern
ment, such a departure from principle
should have the fullest discussion in
| the great public forum of Congress.
| 1t seems to me that 1t is not being
discussed"
Senator Root pointed out that the bill
| had been reported to the Senate from
hearings upon 1t. He said that Senator
Stone Of Missouri, who introduced the
bill. had given notice that any discus
| sion of the bill by the minority would be
considered obstructive and improper.
Republican Speeches Ignored.
He announced that they, the majority,
had the votes to pass the BILL" said Sen
ator Root. He gave notice in advance
of any discussion what would be the fate
of the BILL
had been made by Senators Burton, Cum
minis, Weeks and Lodge, senator's as
eminent as any who have sat in the
chamber, he said. and that not more than
| one or two democrats had listened to
their speeches.
But the Senator from Mississippi, Mr..
Williams, said Senator Root, had the
effrontery to tell the Senate that those
speeches were not worth listening to,
when he had not heard them. By such
a statement he decries the worth of
representative government and dis
credits the Senate"
| To Make Discussion Burdensome.
Senator Root charged that the rules
of the Senate were being used in such
| way as to make the discussion of
| this important bill most burdensome.
pointing out that notice had been given
| the chair would rule that a Senator
had lost the floor if he allowed himself
! to be interrupted during the debate, ex-
! cept for a question. He called atten-
| ton to the fact that the Senate on
| January rs was doing business as of
the legislative day of January Is.
| why is it We conduct our business
under such a fiction and false pre-
that we may be forced to discuss this
1 bill. without transacting any business
of the Senate, from IL o'clock each day
! until or o'clock at night"
| Senator Root declared that the pend
| ing bill must be an emergency measure
| and was urged as such. He declared
| that the Secretary of Treasury and
President Wilson had both admitted
| that the purchase and operation of
merchant ships by the government
would prove a losing venture, in any
| event at the start.
| yet it is now proposed that we shall
put $5O,000,000 into losing business"
said Senator Root. This loss will have
to be made up from taxation
Ship Purchases Necessary.
He said that the bill authorized the
government to buy or to build ships
Since it would require from a year to
eighteen months to build ships, and In
view of the emergency which was the
cause of the proposed legislation, it
was clear, he said. that the ships would
have to be purchased. And the needed
ships could only be purchased from
belligerents. said Senator Root.
| He pointed out that large number
Iof German ships are now interned, and
lprobably would be purchased If the bill
was passed. The Secretary of the
Treasury and the Secretary of Com
lmerce, he said had admitted that ships
owned by belligerent powers would be
purchased.
"I am not talking because these ships
happen to be German" said Senator
Root, but because they are the prop
lerty of a belligerent and liable to be
seized or torpedoed by belligerents if