Arizona republican., 1915-01-06
The Ship -Purchasina Bill.

The Ship-Purchasing Bill.
 The bill providing for the purchasing of ships for The handling of American commerce, by the gov .fhment' will meet with strong opposition from TWO sources The republican minority will oppos- It Tor political reasons but We imagine that that will be short sighted policy There will also be opposition from that element which is always ou- posed to the principle of government ownership u may be admitted that the steadfas refusal of our government offer any reasonable encourage ment for the building up of a merchant marine has now been shown to have been |, serious and dsas- trous mistake, and it is too late or rather the government has not the time now to lend en- curragement to merchant marine. The building mp of one is naturally slow .rocess If trans 'rtation facilities to be American commerce. tfey te quck'y atforGei directly by the g.. .c.nmen..
 The registry plan has proved to be little more than failure. The German vessels have been swept from the No has been given why American owned vessels under British registry should avail themselves of opportunity seek protection which does not protect. This govern ment, so far, has not proved it's ability protect, or a resolute purpose to protect vessels nominaly under it's care against British violation of nterna- tonal laws. In all the circumstances which have so far appeared American capitalists would be very foolish to engage in ship building ship ship even under the stimulus a liberal subsidy, and that, of course, would be granted
 There is, therefore. nothing left be done ex- oept for the government accumulate ships for the handling of American commerce. and that will not to be found easy of accomplishment There are not many merchant ships this world for sale Many which might be acquired unsafe and un- fit. The Germans have great many in home
 
 many in refuge in foreign ports, but the allies would offer what would be a very reasonable objection to their purchase by
 But it be the duty of the government to relieve the extent it's power a distressing sit uation which is best illustrated by the statement day before yesterday of Senator Fletcher in charge of the ship purchasing bill, when he showed that if we had means of getting cent southern cotton 10 Germany could get nineteen cents for it. But in the matter of cotton, well other Am- erican commodities, at the mercy of the allies, who control the not only against Ger many. but also against the United States. The ships of the allies alone can transport them. and they naturally fix the price of them. Not long ago Governor Coauitt of Texas enlightened the try by the statement that the cotton crop of the south practically in possession of British buyers at the price of six a pound.
 The shameful and cowardly objection ever recorded against pending measure is found in the minority report against the ship purchasing bill. That ought to defeat every man who signed it and it ought to defeat the republican party the party stands back of those signatures It is monstrous: Every craft afoat by the gov would another risk to our being drawn into the present war"
 No American wants to be drawn into the war. but every patriotic American would welcome eventuaity rather than lose his respect for a gov ernment which would fear to engage in peaceful and legitimate enterprise allowed by international law. for the benefit of it's people
 Besides would run no risk of being drawn into a The allies have every reason to avoid conflict with Even a commercial conflict would be fatal to them it would destroy the last hope they have of success it would leave them wholly at the mercy of Germany the only of the warning nations prepared continue the for two months without outside help Even now if France and England according to the words of their experts, should be barred from pur- chasing munitions of in this country, they would be helpless. One of the arguments they have of States against the shipment of great quantities of material, for which orders had already been placed with American manufacturers. is that such embargo would be discrimination by this gov in favor of Germany, which alone of all the nations engaged in the conflict does not need to buy munitions of Said one Englishman.