The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1916-02-23

49," - ~" Vs. Z -" ~ =
81 am ,netswhpt Lam. said Iago
Likewise the Administrations new
slipping bill isnot what It is. The
bill fathered last year by President
Wilson and Secretary McAdoo pro-
vided for government ownership and
operation of merchant vessels an
competition with private owners. IL
was clear-cut application Of the
theory of state socialism. IL was
passed by a Democratic House and
defeated in, Democratic Senate.
Mr.. Wilson said that the Senate in
defeating it misrepresented the
people. Yet with the House still
Democratic and the Senate more
Democratic than it was last year,
the Administration has not ventured
to reintroduce straight-out gov
eminent ownership and operation
measure. The new bill wears gum
shoes and a mask.
The main purpose, however, is
about the same--to take $50,000,-
600 out of the Federal treasury and
spend it purchasing merchant ships.
just what the government is to do
with these ships is left in the
shadow. They are to constitute
an auxiliary feet for naval use.
They may be leased or resold to
private shipping companies. They
may even be operated by the gov
eminent as ordinary freighters.
All these details are slurred over
and left to the discretion of a
shipping board, which, is besides, to
take over the duty of regulating
Interstate and foreign commerce by
water, now performed by the Inter
state Commerce Commission.
Most of these provisions are
merely trimmings to conceal the
real object at which the Administra-
ton aims-that is, to extort tao
tical victory from Congress, similar
n effect to the diplomatic victory
IN the submarine issue sought to be
extorted from Germany. The Pres
ident and Mrs. McAdoo want to be
able to repair their defeat of last
winter-to prove to the country
that Congress has yielded to them
on the government ownership idea.
If they can vindicate the principle
of government ownership by getting
a $5O,OOO,OOO appropriation for the
purchase of ships, it will be of com
little consequence what
happens thereafter to the $50,000,-
600.
To win their moral victory they
are willing to make a scrap of pa
per of the financial theories of Mr..
Wilson's recent message to Con-
gress. The President told Congress
that he could not consent to an
issue of bonds to meet the cost OF
enterprises "except when
permanent things are to be accom-
plished which many generations will
certainly benefit by and which it
seems hardly fair that single gen.
Grafton should pay for" He re-
fused to consider preparation for
national defense such AN undertake
ing of permanent benefit. He has
declined to issue bonds to meet eth
er the cost of current construction |
on the Panama Canal or to REIN
burse the Treasury for cash adj
vances on earlier construction. The
Panama Canal is also not to be
classified as an enterprise of per-
manent value. But while insisting
on raising by taxation the money to
pay for naval and military prepar-
alton and for further construction
at Panama, he solemnly asks Con-
gress to authorize the issue of Pan
ANA Canal bonds to the amount of
$50, 100000 to pay for merchant
ships, which are to be held by the
government as naval auxiliaries or
leased to individuals or corporations
for use in ordinary deep sea trade.
Yet the only thing permanent about
this shipping scheme would be the
permanent disappearance of the
$50, 100000. i