Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-17
SHIP BILL PASSES
HOUSE, 215 TO III.
Favorable Action on Measure
Follows Fourteen-Hour Par
liamentary Struggle.
PRESIDENT STILL HAS HOPE
If Present Plans for Prompt Ac-
ton in Senate Fail, 1t Is to
Be Abandoned.

government ship-purchase bill. as an .
iary bill, was passed by the House OF i
Representatives at 1:2o o'clock this
morning by A vote OF 2l5 to l2l
The passage OF the bill followed a 4
fourteen hour parliamentary struggle,
which. until long after midnight.
threatened to extend interminably. be-
cause Of n determined flibuster directed ,
by Minority Leader Mann. who yielded
only after administration leaders de- ,
cided TO apply a second special rule
to bring the fight TO AN end.
The bill will 20 10 the Senate at noon
to-day.
Nineteen Democrats voted against the |
bill They were: Bathrick. Borchers. /
Callaway. Dies Donohue. Fitzgerald. !
Gerry, Gordon. Jones. kindel. Kitchin. +
Morrison. Moss. of Indiana: Page. Of
North Carolina: Saunders. Slayden.
Whitacre. White and Wi;herspoon.
All Republicans present voted against .
the bill.
Democratic leaders in both houses
agreed tonight that the govern
ment ship purchase bill either would
be before President Wilson for his
signature within a few days or dead,
90 far as this session is concerned .
The House remained in session late to-
night TO pass the Wceks-Gore bill. AS
the amended measure is known, and
tomorrow the administration forces
will begin a final effort to get vote
In the Senate on the House amend
ments over the opposition of Republic
cans and revolving Democrats
MAJORITY LEADERS
CONFIDENT OF VICTORY 4
Majority leaders spoke confidently
to-day OF the prospect of victory, and
President Wilson. after conference
with Senator Kern, told callers the
bill would be passed.
On both sides of tho Capitol belief
was current that il present plans for
prompt action in the Senate fell
through, the ship bill would be aban-
doned. and all efforts centred upon dis
posing of appropriation bills to make
unnecessary an extra session.
While the House debated the Weeks
Gore bill the Senate continued its dis
cussion Of cloture rules and Senate |
leaders of all factions conferred as to t
the next moves TO be made. Report
had II that the administration forces
tomorrow would attempt to hut off
debate by moving the previous ques-
ton. and thus forcing a vote on Il |
motion to concur In the House amend
ments. Should this prevail. 1t would |
be equivalent 10 passage OF the ship
purchase bill measure, and thereby end
the long and turbulent fight.
ACTIVE IN PREPARATION
OF SUPPLY MEASURES
Senate committees in charge OF an
preparation bills were active preparing
the supply measures for Senate con- /
s!deration soon as the legislative
ways are cleared.
The ship bill as II will 20 10 the ,
Senate from the House includes the
ship purchase measure as agreed upon
In Senate caucus and provision that
two years after the close OF the Eu-
ropean war ships acquired by the |
United States shall be turned over to |
the Secretary OF the Navy. to be |
operated or leased for commercial pur-
poses under the terms OF the Weeks
bill. already passed by the Senate.
Senator Smoot has given notice that
the debate will be continued by the |
opposition until March 4, unless the |
Democrats withdraw the measure or !
some unusual tactics are resorted to by |
administration forces
Charges of improper influences ex-
erted with relation to the bill. ordered |
investigated by the Senate Yesterday, |
were taken under consideration to-day |
by the special Senate committee and
the formal inquiry Will begin to-mor-
row morning. Bernard y. Baker. OF |
Baltimore, former manager OF the At
lantic Transport Line, and Sigmund
Albert. of New York, representative OF
some of the German American steam
ship companies have been summoned
by the committee, and are expected to
appear at that time.
SEVENTEEN DEMOCRATS
RELEASED FROM RULE; /
Seventeen House Democrats were re-
leased to-day from the caucus rule |
binding them to support the ship
measure. They were: Representatives.
Kitchin. majority leader of the next
House. and Page, OF North Carolina:
Fitzgerald. Patten and Griffin, OF New
York; Slayden. Beall and Galloway, Of |
Texas: Witherspoon and Sisson, of |
Mississippi Gerry, OF Rhode island:
Saunders, of Virginia; Gallivan. OF
Massachusetts; Davenport, of okla
homa: Bartlett, of Georgia: Brockson.
OF Delaware, and Whitacre, Of Ohio.
Representative Webb. OF North Caro-
lima. opening debate for the bill in the
House, declared that the United States
now was confronted with "the greatest
ff- - '>' N --''' 'i"'ioi' cNci iouuu
In foreign commerce."
1T seems to me that at one part OF !
this Capitol they are hddling while
Rome burns" he added. He said gov
ernment ownership had no terrors" for |
him. citing the activities OF the gov
ernment in the Philippines, the Panama
Railroad and the Alaskan Railroad to
show that the United States already
was in private business.
DEBATE IN HOUSE
PROCEEDS SLOWLY
Debate in the House proceeded
slowly throughout the afternoon and
evening; halted time and again by roll
calls demanded hv RnnuhlIcan Inalnr |