The Washington herald., 1922-12-13
Jones STARTS
FIGHT FOR SHIP
! BILL IN SENATE
Senator, In Charge Of Measure,
Urges Passage In 3-Hour
Speech Outlining Benefits
MAKES REPLY TO CRITICS
Would Not Oppose Legislation
If They Fully Understood
Significance, He Declares
BY Univeraal Service.


Debate on the ship subsidy bill
was opened in the Senate yester-
day with a three-hour speech by
Senator Wesley Jones Of Wash
ington, chairman Of the Com
merce Committee.
CALLS IT BOON.
Senator Jones devoted himself
principally to answering critics
Of the measure, most Of whom. he
asserted. have failed to understand
the purposes of the bill. He de-
clared that representatives Of the
farming communities who have an.
nounced themselves in opposition
to the bill would be among its
strongest supporters IL they under
stood its provisions.
No single measure which could
be passed by Congress would be
of greater benefit to the farmers
than this subsidy bill, Sena-
tor Jones declared. 1t insures
him transportation for his prod
ucts. 1t will mean more to the
American farmers than to any
other class Of our people.
Senator Jones stated that II is a
matter Of opinion among well.
informed men as to whether the bill
will accomplish all that Is claimed
for 1t. He asserted, however, that
in the face Of the disastrous rec
ord Of non-aceomplishmen by this
country In fostering its shipping in
terests, he was willing to take a
chance on the bin doing what it is
claimed it will do. Continuing, he
said:
The people may perhaps be JUS
titled in some of the suspicious
they hold respecting this bill
because they do not fully under
stand its provisions.
question the motives of no.
body opposed to this bill. l be-
heve they are honest in their
opposition TO II, because they be-
heve it will not accomplish the
benefits We believe it will.
1 can understand why some
Democrats would oppose the bin,
but / cannot understand why any
Republican would oppose it. 1t
seems to me II embodies so clear
ly the principles of protection
which the Republican party al
ways has advocated that every
Republican ought to be heartily
supporting 1t.
CITES McADOO.
Senator Jones read quotations
from Republican and Democratic
platforms in support of aid for
merchant marine, and cited testi-
mony by former Secretary Of the
Treasury McAdoo. indorsing the
project. The Senator added:
One Of the purposes Of this bill
Is to put our merchant marine
on a footing where our foreign
trade will not b dependent upon
foreign shipping. The people Of
this country want a merchant
marine; the question Is: Are they
willing to pay the price? Are
they willing to do what Is neces-
sary to have such a merchant
marine? I do not know how
other Senators feel, but as for
me I came to the conclusion q
few years ago that I was willing
to vote for almost anything that
would help build up a merchant
marine and keep It on the seas.
We cannot be certain OF what
will come Of this legislation. We
cannot know whether 1t will do
the things we think It will or
not. But the man who opposes ID
takes the chance of doing just 80
much injury to the country, Of
bringing 30 much danger to the
Republic. do not know much
about shipping, but men Of in
tegrity. of sincerity and actuated
by patriotic motives have worked
together on this bill in an effort
to give us something that will
give us a merchant marine.
HELP VITAL NEED.
England Is now our chief COM
petitor for the trade Of the seas.
Her merchant marine IL we'll es.
tablished. Her ships 90 to every
part Of the world. We have to
go into the same harbors and
seek the same trade they have.
That Ia the greatest handicap we
now have. 1t Is like a business
man settling in. small town
and undertaking to set up q new
business for himself. He has to
have aid. That Is the condition
our merchant marine 10 in now.
What we are trying to do 10 in
the interest OF the public. and I
am supporting the bill because
believe the greatest benefits
will come to the people. We want
to keep our foreign trade out Of
the cluthches Of foreign shipping
interests.