The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

3 NNN TTEMPTS being made by sup- A porters of the administration ship purchase bill to force the measure through congress are being watched with considerable interest, leaving the outcome in doubt. The full membership of the house com- mittee on merchant marine and fish- eries have come to a deadlock over the méasure, and is unable to make any progress in its consideration. This has compelled the sponsors of the bill to resort to a new plan to expe- dite it. Accordingly, a subcommittee of the entire membership was selected, with the hope that the subcommittee could reach an agreement to order it reported favorably to the house. The full committee took up the measure for consideration shortly after the hearings were concluded on March 10, and after holding several meetings the committee found itself widely split, and at a standstill. With the Repub- lican and Democratic members lined up against and for it, respectively, it was seen to be useless to hold more meetings. A point was reached where the committee could not muster a quorum. No Agreement in Sight While the subcommittee is ex- pected to maintain a quorum at its meetings, there is no indication that an agreement upon the measure will be reached by the opposing sides. In this event, it is believed that the administration supporters, being in the majority, will take the situation in hand, and arbitrarily move the previ- ous question, thereby getting a vote on the bill, the majority voting to order a favorable report on it, with the minority voting against this plan, and perhaps preparing to submit a separate report, condemning the mea- sure. Indicative of the lack of progress made during consideration of the measure, it is understood that the only provision in it which was agreed to by the opposing sides was that relating to the appointment of a ship- Rulings on Marine Matters la SC ENA Hints to Navigators ping board to regulate rates and other matters concerning water transporta- tion. Reports have it that there are some Democratic members who stood ready to make certain compromises in an effort to get a quick and favor- able report on the bill, which, it had been hoped by its supporters, would reach the floor of the house by the end of March. One faction of the Democratic membership, it is claimed, was willing to set a limit to the period of years providing for government ownership and operation of vessels. It is believe some of the Republicans would have consented to let the bill be reported out if the compromise mentioned above were determined upon, while other Republicans ex- pressed their determination to oppose any plan which would: call for gov- ernment ownership or operation of steamships. There is a strong senti- ment among the Republicans favoring subventions for the upbuilding of an American merchant marine, but the Democrats are said to have unani- mously opposed this plan. Mr. Alexander said that virtually all of the general principles of the Dill had been discussed by the whole committee. This is believed to de- note that, after the measure had been given close attention, the committee found itself hopelessly deadlocked, driving its supporters to the alterna- tive of selecting a subcommittee to take up further consideration of the bill. It is said that but few amend- ments have been offered. Majority Members Worried No particular anxiety regarding the bill had been displayed by its sup- porters up to the time previous to the passage of the army bill in the house, because’ the administration program, as laid out by President Wilson, gave this and other national defense measures the right of way over all other legislation. But when the army bill was passed by the lower body, and with the naval bill being prepared for reporting, the shipping 175 Improvements to Waterways eee i Mia bill was seen to be lagging behind. Then its supporters became appre- hensive lest congress adjourn without its even being brought to a vote in the house, much less being brought before the senate, provided it passes the lower body. The administration has been spur- ring the majority members of commit- tee to hurry and whip the bill into shape and take it to the floor of the house, this measure having been included in the “boiled down” pro- gram for enactment at the present session of congress. Replies made to the White House as to the ship- ping bill situation were disconcerting. Even provisions governing the ship- ping board plan were not fully con- curred in, Republican members of the committee objecting to the provision permitting the board to do a regular ship brokerage business. The - full committee, however, finally voted to © increase the proposed membership from three to five, but some of the Republican members protested strong- ly against the plan to have two mem- bers of the cabinet, the secretary of the navy and the secretary of the treasury as members of the board. Cabinet Members Are Busy Secretary of Commerce William C. Redfield and Secretary of the Treas- ury William G. McAdoo have con- tinued their efforts to arouse senti- ment in favor of the bill, Mr, Mc- Adoo, alive to his opportunities, has campaigned for the measure in the speeches made on his South Amer- ican tour. It apparently is his design to create such sentiment in the south- ern republics as to influence the Unit- ed States congress to support the measure, under the belief that it would mean the establishment of ship lines between this country and South America that would result in building up a big trade for the United States. Nothing has developed to change the opinion existing among many that the bill might be defeated in the house. There appears to continue the