The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1916-01-06
ROOSEVELT RAPED
FOR CHARGES OVER
SHIP PURCHASE ACT
Majority Senate Inves-
tigating Committee
Denunciatory.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
DEFENSE

Program Comes UP Before
Congressional Naval Com
mittees Soday.
Washington, d. C.-Charges cir-
culated during the last session Of
Congress that administration Off
Gals had acted in the interest Of for
eign business firms in urging the
passage of the government ship pur-
chase bill were held to be baseless
in the majority and minority re-
port filed by the Senate committee
appointed to investigate them. Both
reports also found the shipping In.
terests blameless of any illegal ac-
tivities in opposing the measure.
The majority report denounced
Theodore Roosevelt for falling to.
appear before the committee to tes-
tlfy concerning his published asser-
t1on that President Wilson and Sec
retary Bryan had endeavored In
the interest of certain foreign busf-
ness firms to secure for the United
States the power of purchase the in
termed ships of one of the belliger-
ents."
The charge, the report said, had
its origin in that ungenerous trait
of the human mind which makes it
prone to attribute unworthy motives
to redoubtable rivals and particular
ly political antagnofsts.''
The writer, added the report,
whose eminence was naturally cal
culated to give weight to his utter.
ances, finding himself without any
basis, even OF hearsay character.
for his slanderous attack upon the
highest officer of his government.
simply resorted to a palpable soph-
istry to escape the responsibility for
the assertion he had made.H
While the committee round no eyi-
dence to indicate that the president
or the secretary of state harbored any
purpose to buy informed ships, the
majority held that it was not diff
cult to conceive of any reason con.
sistent with the most exalted mo-
tives that might induce the president
to refrain from public declaration
that belligerent ships would not be
bought.
"Such action" said the report.
would rightly be construed as an
abandonment of our rights. which
our nation has vigorously maintain-
ed"
Senator Sutherland presented a
minority report for himself and SEN
ator Penrose," We do not concur"
it said, insofar as the report de-
fends the bill itself and insofar as 1t
insists that there would be no inn
propriety in the purchase of belli-
gerents idle ships. We believe the bill
thoroughly bad piece of legislation
and are certain that to have purchas-
ed the boats now seeking security in
American harbors would have de-
veloped serious trouble for the Unit
ed States"
Hearings on the administration
national defense program began to-
day when the House may committee
took up the annual naval appropri-
ton BILL The first subject for con-
sideration was the requirements of
government yards and docks, con-
cerning which Rear Admiral Stanford
chief of the bureau of yards and
the committee think it will be sew.
eral weeks before the construction
program is reached.
The Senate naval committee met to
consider Senator Tillman's bill for
the erection of a government armor
plate plant.
In the Senate, Chairman Hitch
cock, of the Philippines committee.
moved that the bill to enlarge Phil.
ippine self-government be made un-
finished business. No opposition to
the motion is anticipated, but debate
On the measure itself is expected to
occupy the Senate for several weeks.
While this matter is before the
Senate, the House will have for dis
cussion the farm loan bill, reported
today. j 81
Rep. Alexander, chairman Of the
merchant marine committee, return.
ed yesterday from Missouri and re.
sumed work on the government shin
purchase bill. The plans to confer on
this subject with Secretary McAdoo
and President Wilson later this week.
Hundreds of measures introduced
included bills or resolutions to extend
the thanks of Congress to Henry
Ford for his peace mission, to pre-
vent clearance from American ports
of ships carrying both passengers and
munitions of war, to establish a
United States commission for endur-
I ing peace, which might act as; inter-
mediary between warning nations and
to ask President Wilson for nam a.
disloyal naturalized citizens referred
to in the presidents last message "a
Congress. All We're referred to com
mittees. ssSiA ~ 81
Washington, d. CTwo resolu.
lions to reduce the risks for Ameri-
cans travelling on the high seas were
introduced by Senator Gore, Demo.
crat. One would prohibit the issue 81
passports for travel on the ships b
belligerent nations and, the other
would restrict the carrying Of paas,