Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-23
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL,
REGARDED As TEST.
EXPECTED TO PASS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Heased Wire Service to The Journal.
Copyright 1921

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.-The
ship subsidy bill will pass the SEN
ate within the next fortnight, &C.
cording to the advices given the ad.
ministration within the last twenty.
four hours by leaders who have
made careful canvass of the whole
situation.
The fight to displace the ship sub
sidy measure with a farm credits
bill has been going on for several
days, with the administration get
ting stronger and stronger. Al.
though President Harding has os-
tensibly been absorbed in dealing
with the delicate problems of Eu-
ropean economics, the truth is he
has been making the fight of his ca
reer to mould the Republicans into
a solid unit as against the obstruc,
tionists of the various "blocs."
There are some senators who do
not favor the subsidy bill itself and
who will vote against it on final
passage, but the administration has
succeeded in convincing many of
them that, irrespective Of the mer
it's of the subsidy bill, they ought
not to lend themselves to the cam
paign of the filibusters and obstruc-
tions who have thought they could
kill the subsidy measure by keeping
it from getting to a vote.
If you want to keep on friendly
terms with the administration here
is a chance to do something for
the administration without COM
promising your own position on
ship subsidy. Permit it to come to
a vote, give it fair chance-that's
all we ask, and vote against the
measure itself if you want to-we
shall not hold that against you.'
Chance For Compromise
This, indeed, solves the problem
which many senators have been
worrying about. They didn't want
10 DIGdh Will lllC IhNIAAAA1AHo - Ct SAS -
and vote against ship subsidy, but
some Of them feel they must. They
can palliate their act to some ex-
tent by helping the administration
get the bill to vote. Enough of
them have consented to do this so
that a vote on the ship subsidy
seems assured.
Now as to the final tally, it will
be very close. The proponents of
the measure think they have com"
Portable margin 7 and they insist
that as the debate develops they
will have more votes because Re.
publicans will have to make up
their minds whether they will vote
against a party measure or stand
by the administration.
The Democrats have not yet
shown their hand. 1t looks as Il
only one or possibly two Of thern
will vote for the bill, but the inter
esting thing so far is that the
Democrats have not become party
to the obstructionist tactics of the
insurgent. Republicans.
The danger of such a coalition is
that it might work both ways and
measures the Democrats might want
to see passed for the benefit of their
respective states will not get the
necessary cooperation from Republf-
can leaders if bipartisan obstruc-
ZIONIST bloc is formed.
Conservative Alliance
Another phase of the situation is
the two camps in the Democratic
party, the one interested in radically
obstructing whatever it is possible
to obstruct so az to hurt the Re.
publican party's chances at all cost,
and the other more conservatively
inclined, which fears that all prog
ress in government will be blocked
unless they stand with the conserva-
tive Republicans and prevent "bloc"
rule by the radicals.
The administration is thoroughly
satisfied with the shipping bill
framed in the senate. In fact. it is
preferred over the house bill. The
principal changes made by the sem
ate are the limitation of the amount
that can be expended for subsidy to
$50 100000 year.
The shipping board is confident
the cost will not run over that sum
anyway so the amendment is ac-
ceptable. The other change which
eliminated the Madden amendment
requiring annual appropriations and
authorizations is also satisfactory
so shippers can buy vessels with an
assurance of continuous government