Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-01-01
SHIP PURCHASE MAY.
HALT DEFENSE PLAN.
Republican Senators Willing to Hold
Up Preparedness TO Kill Ma
rine Measure.

TlHS measure
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. Is
Republican opposition to the admin
istration's ship purchase plan may
result in the postponement of the ma
tional defense program for five
months or more. II became known
yesterday that the Republican lead
ers of the Senate are willing to sac
rifce their interests in the national
defense program, temporarily at
least, to strengthen the fight against
the ship purchase plan.
The plan of the Republicans. as
outlined authoritatively. contemplates
the use Of the national defense pro-
gram as a club whereby to beat back
the administration leaders in the ship
ping fight. The administration, it was
pointed out, had intended to have
the ship purchase measure put for
ward in both Houses of Congress, a
low haso atiiti ilit ltdSAtIflUl1HS next
week, with a view to having it con
sidered at length in the interval be-
fore the Army and Navy bills are
ready to be reported from the vari-
GUS committees. The administration
had hoped in this way to have the
shipping measure out of the way by
the time the defense bills were ready
for consideration, and it was believed
in some quarters that it would be
less difficult to procure the passage
OF the shipping bill if it were known
that the defense measures were held
in allegiance pending such passage
The President, while he named
the shipping bill in his annual mes
sage or the subject of preparedness,
never has consented to having the
plan tackled onto the naval bill as a
formal Employment of the defense
program. Efforts had been made to
bring this about, but the President
refused to hazard the success of the
Naval bill upon the outcome of the
shipping fight.
But the Republicans, it developed
yesterday will concede to the ship
ping plan nothing of that non-par,.
isan support which has been promised
to The defense program as a whole
Indeed, they are sure to deal with
the shipping bill as partisan meas
lurep ure and simple, and to resort
to every possible parliamentary sub
terfuge to prevent its enactment.
The shipping measure has taken
shape rapidly within recent weeks
the result of a series of conferences
participated in by Secretary of tho
Treasury McAdoo, Secretary of Com
merce Redfield Senators Fletcher
and Simmons, Representative Alex.
ander, of Missouri, and Solicitor
Thurman, of the Department of Com.
merce.
The BILL as it now stands, would
provide for the purchase or construc-
ton of vessels by government Ship
ping Board, with provisions for char.
tering or leasing these vessels to prl-
waite cincerns. The provision which
is relied upon by administration lead
ers to procure larger measure OF
support for the bill is that which
opens the way for utilization of the
government-owned vessels for mill
tary purposes as naval auxiliaries and
army transports when such need
arises. "A cluase covering these uses
would be inserted in any contract or
lease by which any of the govern
ment vessels might be turned over TO
private concerns for transoceanic
commerce 1t is the feature of the bill
by which the government would de-
tain the right to operate the vessels
as merchant vessels which has arous-
ed the storm of Republican oppos,.
ton. as well as that of some men,
bers of the Presidents own party.