Evening star., 1922-11-19
FATE Of ]. s. SHIPS
TOBEDETERM|NED
IN EXTRA SESSION
Congress Opening Tomorrow
to Find Foes of Federal
Aid Aggressive.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
TO BE MADE TUESDAY
Liberia Loan and Anti-Lynching
Bills Senate Business Until
House Votes on Subsidy.

for upbuilding, the American mer-
chant marine dominating its legisia-
tive program. the third session of the
ISixty-seventh Congress will open at
noon tomorrow. President Harding.
who called the special session for the
purpose of putting through q meas
ure designed to maintain the Amer
lean flag on the seas, is expected to
address a joint session Of the two
houses on Tuesday.
The shipping bill will be dealt with
first by the House. according to pres
ent plans. The unfinished business
Of the Senate is the bill authorizing
loan Of $5.000,0o0 to Liberia Tha;
measure and the Dyer anti-lyinchinG
bill are expected to occupy the time
Of the Senate until the shipping bill;
reaches that body from the House.
Friends and foes Of ship subsidy
ARE busily engaged in preparing Ior
the conflict. Opponents of the meas
ure, among them progressives from
the middle west. insist that E,s re-
cent elections may be taken as a
direct slam at the eubsidy bill On
the other hand returning senators
and representatives, who favor the
measure. declare that there is a real
demand among the people for an
American merchant marine.
Coolidge Backs Move.
Vice President Coolidge. on his re-
turn to Washington yesterday. said
that he had made many speeches dur
ing the recent ca0paign and that
the proposal to grant government aid
to shipping, SO as to assure mer-
chant ships flying the American flag.
had invariably met with approval
from his audiences.
Administration leaders say that
| they believe the bill will pass the
| House, with the backing of the Presi-
| dent. Republican leaders in the
! Senate. among them Senator Curtis
| Of Kansas, the republican whip, and
| Senator Smoot of Utah. declare that
there will be sufficient votes in the
Senate to put tho measure through.
But they are doubtful as to the pos
sibility OF reaching a vote in the
Senate. They fear q flibustsr on
| the part of its opponents
Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin,
Senator Borah of Idaho, leaders of
the progressive element in the Sen
ate, and Senator Capper of Kansas,
! chairman of the farm bloc. have all
three pronounced their opposition to
the passage of the subsidy bill. With
such opponents and the aid which
they may be expected to receive from
the democrats as we'll as from other
republican senators from the middle
west and west, the subsidy bill un-
doubtedly will have a rough road in
| the Senate. 1t is expected that near
ly all of the democrats of the SEN
ate will line up against the bill. There
will be some exceptions.
Ransaen Favors Bill.
Senator Ransdell of Louisiana is a
strong supporter Of measures to aid
the merchant marine. Senator Tn
derwood of Alabama, while he has
not given his approval to the pend
ing bill. has said in the past he be-
lieved that it would be better to have
l a
| aid, than not to have one.
Supporters of the bill, like Senk
ators Curtis and Smoot, argue that
the subsidy measure will really save
| money to the government. They point
out that the government is losing
some 100.0oo.oo0 a year by attempt
| ing to operate merchant vessels
he nd
Emergency Fleet Corporation. where
| as, II the subsidy bill goes into ef-
feet, it will cost the government not
| over S50.000.0oo a year.
without subsidy an American
| merchant marine cannot. under pres
ent conditions, meet the competition
! Of foreign nations. they insist. II
there 10 no subsidy, then there will be
no American merchant marine.
What will happen to the ship sub
sidy bill in the House is anybody's
guess. With the special rule opening
| the way for amendment from any
source on the floor there are scores
| Of suggestions being made as to how
the bill will "be torn wide open"
House Passage Predicted.
A careful canvas OF the members
back in Washington last year. how
ever, indicated that the bill will be
passed by the House with few. II any,
changes other than those recommend
ed by the committee. House Leader
Mondell. after conferences with all
the prominent members who were in
town late yesterday said: :.
MY expectation is that the bill
will pass substantially in the form
in which 1t is presented. though there
may be some amendments. I trust
that amendments. however. will not
| be of q character to seriously impair
the usefulness br symetry, Of the
measure"
Former Republican Leader Mann
said: +
II hope 1t will pass. I rather ex-
| pect it will go through the House.
though L. don't know about tie
Senate" 80
/ Returning members quite frankly
admit that while the last session of
1 -.