New-York tribune., 1915-02-14
Decide in Caucus for
Strong Arm" Method to
Save Ship Bill.
SUCCESS OF PLAN
STILL UNCERTAIN
House Majority to Discuss Com
promise Measure In Con-
ference Tomorrow.
IFrom m, Tribune Bure.u.l ]

fort TO pull the ship purchase Dill! on
the rocks the Democratic caucus OF the
Senate decided tonight to adopt
strong arm" methods to jam the com
promise measure through by adherins
to their programme for the adoption OF
n closure rule. The success OF this
new plan, however, is doubtful.
The caucus was attended by only
small majority of the Senate Demo-
Gratis, and the seven recalcitrants VINO
opposed the ship purchase bill were
not present. No attempt was made TO
pass a binding resolution nor to hx a
specific plan of action. The chlel OUT
come of the conference was the de-
| cision to keep the closure question pc
/ fore the Senate while the House is
/ discussing the compromise snip pur-
chase bill.
Plan for Battle in House.
With a call for a Democratic caucus
next Monday night and the introduction
Of the compromise shipping bill and the
rule to make it privileged, the admin
istration supporters in the House per.
fected plans to assume the brunt OF
/ the ship purchase battle next week.
The compromise bill-a composite OF
4 the Weeks naval auxiliary bill
and the Gore ship purchase meas
ure-was introduced by Chairman
/ Padgett. of the Naval Afairs
Committee, with the express consent OF
the President. As exclusively told IN
/ The Tribune, this bill was agreed upon
at White House conference last night,
/ in which the President, Mr.. Padgett
| and Mr.. Webb took part.
| The rule proposes TO discharge the
( Naval Affairs Committee from consid-
Grafton of the Weeks bill, passed by the
I Senate last August, and to make that
measure Immediately in order, with an
amendment adding the Gore ship pur-
chase substitute.
The Gore bill is to be amended, as
outlined in The Tribune, by a provision
Il. ( within two years after the termina-
tion Of the European war the shipping
board aud corporation created by the
measure shall be dissolved and the
bill shall become non-effective.
Automatically the Weeks naval auxil-
iary bill would then become effective
and the vessels acquired under the Gore
plan would be transferred to the Navy
Department, to be operated, leased or
converted into auXiliaries.
Ii il this provision which vitalizes
the recalcitrancy of such House Demo-
Gratis as Messrs. kitchin, Garner and
Saunders.
If the administration had consented
to the two-year limitation, without au-
thorizing the transfer of vessels to
/ the Navy Department, the recalcitrants
could have supported the bill as tenn
porary measure. They will contend in
party caucus that there is nothing
temporary about the so-called compro-
/ mise. because it would virtually shift
] TO the Secretary of the Navy the pow
erJ held by the shipping board.
Caucus Support Assured.
/ 1t is estimated that possibly two
1 dozen Democrats will absolve them
/ selves from the caucus mandate on
/ Monday night. Others may not attend
/ the caucus, but the administration
/ pressure is so strong and the interest
/ in the subject so acute that large at
/ tendance is certain. That the caucus
will order the support both of the rule
and the compromise measure Is also
regarded as certain.
The special rule will permit only six
! hours debate on the shipping bill. No
amendments will be in order except
those provided for in the rule, and the
opposition will have only the privilege
Of moving TO recommit the bill.
The House battle over the shipping
bill is to be opened next Tuesday, but
a vote probably will 60 over until
! Wednesday afternoon if the opposition
pursues obstructive tactics. With a
closure rule, the House result cannot
be postponed long, though Republicans
and insurgent Democrats will fight to
the moment Of passage.
In making a programme to jam the
ship purchase bill through the House
while the Senate kills time the admin
istration supporters are aware that
their action is important only because
it affords the Senate Democrats an OPP
portunity to move to concur in the
House amendments to the Weeks bill
thereby fastening, possibly, vote IN
that deadlocked body, and because II
affords the President the satisfaction
of saying that the measure at least
passed one house, should the shipping
bill finally fail.
Terms OF Compromise.
The amendment to be added to the
Weeks-Gore bill reads:
THAT two years from and after the
conclusion of the present European
war. that fact to be determined by the
President, the corporation and the
shipping board shall turn over and
transfer all vessels purchased or con-
strdcted under the provisions of this
&C. TO the Navy Department, and the
Secretary of the Navy shall have the
right, with the approval of the Presi-
dent, to lease or charter any OF such
vessels not needed for naval or mill.
tary purposes to any firm, individual
Tnr ~
vessels.
That the Secretary of the Navy
shall in such leases provide for their
cancellation whenever such vessels may
be required for naval or military pur-
poses.
That when the vessels are disposed
of as herein provided the corporation
herein provided for shall be dissolved
and said shipping board abolished.
THAT sections /, 2, and 4 Of this
act shall not take effect until two
years from md after the conclusion o.
the present European war, that fact TO
be determined by the President"
In advance Of the House fight Rep
resentative Martin Dies, a Texas
Democrat, inveighed against the ship
ping bill to-day, denouncing it as Il
project ''verging on to socialism"
You are not going 10 scare or excite
me or jar me loose from the principles
of my Democratic fathers" exclaimed
Mr.. Dies. you cannot take me into
socialism, into government ownership
by telling la, We ought to have more
facilities this very minute to handle
our stuff. | know that freight rates
are high, but do not want this Con
gress to be stampeded in this hour
into the Dead Sea of socialism, and
shall not vote for it,"
Senate Still in Deadlock.