The Washington herald., 1915-02-01
Ship Debate Interesting
PURCHASE BILL EXPLAINED
miss Richards Lectures

Qncluding. perhaps, foreign vessels in
! termed in our ports) as in the judgment
of the commission it may be wise to
| buy.
This, we are assured, would release
/ the ship stringency bring down the eX-
tortionate ocean freight rates now being
charged, in some cases increased 1,1OO per
cent, Secretary NcAdoo assures us, and
serve to speedily stimulate business and
restore general conditions of a more
nearly normal status.
But say the opponents, suppose the
commission should decide to purchase
! the German vessels Of the Hamburg
American and other German lines in
termed in our country? All that money
would go to Germany and then what
would Great Britain say?
"'Ah. reply the advocates, England
would be reminded that the ships were
now "government-owned" and official
ly flying the American flag. She would
therefore refrain from interfering with
their trade
May. nay retort the opponents,
You deceive yourselves! We shall find
we are only purchasing trouble and
that England is still ION the job" un-
der the same old motto. Britannia rules
! the wave" And when those late-Ger-
man, now-American ships venture
forth, Great Britain will pounce upon
lHen III lnt same Olu way. Anu luCH
what? War or tame submission!
Which?
Battle Royal Continues.
I'VE also hear that private ship
building interests see the same old
menace of socialism in the measure
and though they are lying low and not
saying much. their advocates are neith
er idle nor asleep; that ship subsidy
will die hard. Whatever the criss-cross
motives may be, the battle royal seems
on, and the challenge has already been
made that the bill will never become
law. even IL it has to be talked to
death This will call for another OF
those tests of endurance for our grave
and reverend seniors of the Senate,
which while it may furnish run for the
galleries. is death for Them If they
are to hold out till March 4.
"Apropos OF a government shipping cor
poration to he run by a new government
commission" added the speaker, 1T is in
teresting to note the increase OF govern
ment by commission Already the three
big branches of business-the railways,
the corporations and the banking sys-
tem-are under the direction of govern
ment commissions, namely, the Interstate
Commerce Commission of nine men,
which controls the railways; the lately
created Interstate Trade Commission OF
five members for the further control OF
corporations. and the Federal Reserve
Board of seven. which controls the banks
under the new currency law of last year,
known as the Federal reserve act.
We have also the government Com
mission on Industrial Relations. which is
now conducting such interesting hearings
in New York.
And now comes this new PROPOSE
tion to create the long-talked of tmer-
chant marine by government pur-
chase, with government money. to be
under the control of another govern
ment commission. If this be Social
ISM then the shades Of Cleveland and
Mckinley. as well as the light of
Roosevelt and Taft, must all be held
responsible as the creation of the
first commission goes 'back to 1887
when the Interstate Commerce Com
mission was born-a period of COM
missions covering twenty-eight years"
Other subjects presented at the talk
were the latest phases of the Euro
pean war and Secretary Bryan's let
ter to Senator Stone, of Missouri
stating the Administrators position
in reply to the twenty counts" charg-
ing unneutrality made against the
government by the German-Americans
of Missouri.
NO one can complain" said Miss
Richards, that we have hit upon dull
days. whatever else one may think of
the 'parlous times in which we are
living now
At this mornings talk at II, Miss
Richards will, as usual, bring up to
date the most important questions of
the hour. both home and foreign sub
jects, upon which she lectured last
week before large audiences in Will
mington, Philadelphia, Plainfield, East
Orange and New York.