The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1915-02-13
kITCHIN BILL OBJECTED To
Wilson Would Not Consent to the
Measure Which Bound the Govern
ment to Retire From Shipping
Business After Close Of War.

Washington, Feb 12-The fight
over the governments ship purchase
bill was shifted today from the senate
to the house. In the senate the
measure, booked by determined re-
publican opposition, was displaced as
the unfinished business and cloture
rule designed to forcibly terminate
the filbuster, was taken up.
Administration forces began work
on compromise bill to be passed
through the house Leaders on that
side Of the capitol. however, were far
from confident that the proposed
compromise would unite the divided
senate democrats or win support
from republicans They declared the
administration did not concede
enough in the proposed compromise
to obtain its passage.
The cloture rule presented in the
senate met the same republican fill
buster THAT had booked the shipping
bill, and tonight conference Of the
democrats OF the senate was called
for tomorrow to consider the advls-
ability OF continuing the fight for the
cloture proposal or OF abandoning it
and returning to a direct contest for
the shipping bill
Ihe new bill in the house was de-
yeloDed after Postmaster General
burleson went to the capitol and def.
hitely rejected the compromise meas
ure advanced by Representative
kitchin of North Carolina. The
hltchln proposal contemplated max
ing the shipping bill purely tempo
fary emergency measure and would
nave taken the government out of the
shipping business two years after the
termination of the European war
Mr.. Kitohin declared that conferences
had assured the passage of this
measure through both branches of
congress.
The administration counter proro-
sal as it was being framed tonight
would organize a shipping board with
an appropriation of forty million dol.
lars TO engage in shipping for a period
ending two years after the termina-
ton of the war. Then the ships
would be turned over to the secre.
tary OF The navy to be leased or oper-
ated in the merchant service at ais
discretion This plan to pace the
government permanently in the shin.
ping business was the point insisted
upon by the administration. II is
also the provision against which the
senate republican filibuster is chiefly
aimed.
Representative Kitchin and other
house leaders said tonight THAT with
this provision in the measure it
would be impossible to force it
through the senate in this congress.
The administration proposal. which
embraces the " eeks bill. for the or
ganization Of a merchant marine.
naval auxiliary, the Gore compromise
shipping bill and amendments prcb-
ably will be brought in to the house
next week. 1t is expected that the
naval affairs committee will report
the Weeks bill. which has already
passed the senate, and that special
rule viii then be brought in clearing
the way for the passage of the meas
ure with the administration amend
ments, This course would place the
compromise before the senate as a
house amendment to bill already
passed
Representative Kitchin said tonight
that he had no hope Of the admins.
tration compromise passing the
senate
at may have moral effect upon
the senate and the country" 10
added "and may strengthen the adj
ministration support in the senate"
The Weeks bill, to be retained In
the proposed composite measure,
would provide for the establishment
of United States navy mail lines be-
tween the United States and South
America and between the United
States and the countries Of Europe.
IL would authorize The secretary OF
the navy to employ available naval
vessels at his discretion In general
mail, freight and passenger business.
For the operation of these naval
auxiliaries citizens as well as any