The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-20
[ N r M |EES OF SHIP B|LL. USE:: l:
 F|L|BUST ER
Senator Underwood Advises Democrats to Allow Vote. Sheppard Begins Speech
 on League of Nations
 to Consume Time

w WASHlNGTON, Feb. 19.-( By Associated Press. )-Efforts of op- ponents of the administration ship ping bill to kill it through a fili- buster were actively begun tonight in the Senate, and brought from Senator Jones, republican, Wash ington, in charge of the measure, notice that he would endeavor to hold the Senate in session all night tomorrow.
 The filibuster as started tonight and ship bill opponents made no effort to have it described as oth- CT than filibuster-took the form of an address of three hours and a half by Senator Sheppard of Texas on the operations of the League of Nations since it's organ ization.
 The Texas senator was still go- ing strong when Senator Curtis of Kansas, the republican whip, short ly after 10 o'clock moved that the Senate go into executive session. This was followed by a recess un- til Il o'clock tomorrow, when shin bill opponents promise to resume their tactics.
 ' To Speak Seven Hours.
 Senator shevpard began speaking before o'clock. making prepared address containing a digest of every 1 action by the League Of Nations 1 through it's assembly, it's council and i it's various commissions since it be- gan functioning. He made no an nouncement at the outset Of his ad- 1 dress as to the length of time he 1 is prepared to speak, but some of his associates said he had a seven hour | speech.
 The democratic senators who joined with republican opponents of the shipping bin in the filibuster did so over the wishes of Senator Underwood of Alabama, retiring democratic leader. Senator Under wood earlier in the session had ad- vised against killing the shipping bill through indirect action. declar- | ing he favored allowing it to come to vote even though he was op- posed to it.
 After the tactics of ship bill op- ponents had become apparent, and after Senator Jones had made his | announcement of all night session tomorrow. Senator Jones told his col leagues to go home and get plenty of sleep in preparation for tonight's session. He said that cots and blan- kets would be brought in so that senators might be as comfortable as | possible.
 Opponents of the bill attempted to bring about an adjournment at the usual hour. but were voted down 45 to 33. Earlier in the day they united with supporters of the filled milk bill in an endeavor to take up that measure and lay aside the shipping legislation.
 Senator Jones republican. of Wash ington. in charge of the ship bill, met the move with a motion to lay on the table the proposal to take up the filled milk bill, which was made by Senator Ladd, republican, of. North Dakota. The motion was defeated, A to 42, and the Ladd proposal was left pending before the Senate.
 Four democrats, Senators RansdeI and Broussard of Louisiana; Dial o1 South Carolina and Underwood ot Alabama, lined up with 3S repub licans in favor of tabling the Lado l motion, The two Louisiana. senators have supported the shipping bill throughout. Senator Dial is one ot the leading opponents of the filIeo milk bill and Senator Underwood after he had explained he was op- posed to the shipping bill, but at the same time could not be party to its defeat by "indirection."
 Leaders among the forces sup. porting the shipping bill conceded | that the vote to table the motion was q surprise and pointed out that sev- eral republicans who are considered as favorable to the shipping bil voted against tabllng the Ladd mo tion.
 The vote on the motion 10 tabIt was followed by extended debate during which the shipping bin wa, attacked and the filled milk bill wa, both attacked and defended. The feature of this debate, however, wa.
  ator Underwood. the retiring demo cratic leader, and several democratl on the question of the propriety O. a filibuster against the shipping legislation. During this debate. Sen | ators Underwood and Hitchcock democrat. Nebraska, conceded tha there was filibuster against tns shipping bill. but Senator Harrison democrat, Mississippi, later denied | there was any real "filibuster" ant said that any statement to the con trary must have been a slip of th' tongue"
 Claims Bill Repudiated.
 Declaration by Senator Underwood that he was opposed to defeat of thu shipping bill by q filibuster caused Senator Hitchcock to inquire how th' | democratic leader squared his oppo' | stion to filibuster now with his action in leading the flllbuster at tht | beginning of the present sessior against the anti-lynching bill. Hs
 tContinued on Page Fourteen)