Evening star., 1919-01-22
PRESIDENT ORDER
AROUSES SENATOR
Mr. Jones Resents Ban
Against ShipbuiIding on
Foreign Account.
ssASKED TO YIELD RIGHTS

Refusal of President Wilson to re-
move restrictions against the con-
struction in American, shipyarGs Of
steel ships for foreign account was
criticised in the Senate today by SEN
atcr Jones of Washington, who de-
ciared it unjustifiable and almost
criminal" Such a policy, he said, not
only compelled shipyards to suspend
operations, throwing thousands of
men out of employment, but results
in these contracts being awarded to
firms In other countries.
Asked to Give UP Rights.
I'VE were asked" said Senator
Jones, 'to give up our just rights In
the Panama canal to help the Presi-
dent solve mysterious problems be-
tween this country and another coun-
try. We did it and to this day no one
knows what benefit it was to us.
AFTER the armistice was entered
into and the war was practically over.
Secretary Redfield recommended that
the United States should stand back
and allow other countries to have the
first chance at the worlds export
trade, in order that they may re-
. habilitate themselves. And now,
when we are confronted with the per-
picking problems of peace. the Presi-
dent himself refuses to permit our
shipyards to take contracts to build
steel ships for foreign account. For
eign shipbuilding contracts are sought
; in American shipyards These ship
yards cannot take these contracts
because they cannot get a permit to
,do SO from their own government.
] Situation as Pictured.
american shipyards are closed.
! American labor is idle. American re-
sources are unused. Hundreds of mill
lions of foreign capital wanting to
come here is directed to foreign coun-
tries Why? Because an American
President. using the power given to
him to carry on the war, refuses, for
undiscIosed reasons, to permit our
people to take those contracts and
build these ships. No reason is given
to justify this action. None can be
given to justify it.
ut may be all right to try to rectify
all the wrongs suffered by any coun-
try or people in Europe. 1t may be
necessary to appropriate millions of
dollars to enable the President to
consummate peace in harmony with
his idealistic hopes and aspirations,
but while we are doing this we have
. right to ask him to have some re-
gard for the rights and interests of
our own people. Other peoples and
governments are looking after their
own interests. They expect US to look
after ours, and our people have the
right to expect and to demand that an
American policy be followed protect
ing, safeguarding and promoting the
rights, interests and welfare of the
American people. labor and indus
tries"
Says Government Interferes.
Senator Jones also declared that the
government is interfering with the
proper development of business under
the guise of powers conferred for the
prosecution of the war.
Whenever and wherever capital &C.
sires to make legitimate investment
that win employ American labor and
demand American material can any
one imagine a good reason for deny
ing it the privilege of doing so?
Governmental agencies are doing
that very thing right now. With men
by the thousands going without work.
capital is denied the right to engage
in work that would employ thousands
of laboring men and keep them en-
ployed for months to come. For such
action can see no justification.
1T is more than a mistake. It is
utter incompetency. The facts are un-
disputed and the responsibility is
LII