The Washington times. [volume], May 26, 1920, FINAL EDITION, Image 1

About The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939

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?MBKKaM3. WABHDfQTOW. WEDNESDAY KVKNI.VJ, MAY 26. 1920.
Wall Street Prices] TWO ciUfT* I I thiuli run
JONES BN.L TO SELL SNIPS STARTS NEW FIGHT
Today
f Johnson In a Nutshell.
Ignorant Little Pig.
Workman and Trust.
Cross and Crescent.
I By ARTHUR BRISBANE.
Uoeyrlghl. HID
I Why ia Hiram Johnson disliked
by distinguished pocketbooks that
are financing other candidate*?
Your answer ia in thia short ex
tract from Johnson's recant
. speech:
I "Not only would I employ the
, power of the State against the
. extremist of the aoap box, preach
ing overthrow of GoveraKeat by
force and violence, but with equal
vigor I would endeavor to reach,
euppreoa and puniah the radical of
great wealth and power, who en
danger a the Republic by cunning
and diahoneat practicea, and in
aidioualy undermines society by
iilegitiaaate exploitation."
Big pocketbook gentlemen want
somebody that will JAIL, DE
PORT, CLUB and otherwise AN
NIHILATE the 6oap box an
archists that defy the law in re
tall fashion, while treating with
respect the bigger anarchist that
despises the law in wholesale
fashion.
Off the coast of the United
States, not far from the Narrows,
a small white pig wan found
swimming, head pointed toward
^Pa"V The fisherman that pick
ed him up deplored. the pig's
ignorance, saying to his friend:
' Could you imagine swimming the
way that pig was swimming, not
knowing where he was going?"
The pig, young, weighing only
thirty pounds, might have replied:
"Where are YOU going; where
is the world going on which you
travel through a bigger ocean?
In which direction is your govern
ment headed? Some day I shall
have my throat cut, and that will
end mo. But what is going to
happen to you when you die?
I'll admit I m an ignorant young
pig, but you are not to criticize
me."
The fishermen were amazed that
the pig, after swimming for a
long time, had not cut its throat
with its short hoofs. Pigs usu
ally do that when swimming, but
the fishermen need not have been
surprised. This pig, although his
swimming motion took his hoofs
dangeroualy close to the side of
his neck, did not cut his throat,
bccausc he was a thin pig. His
thinness saved him. If he had
been a fat-necked pig, resembling
in shape, let us say, the patrioteers
that manipulated "Hog Island,"
hia throat would have been cut
undoubtedly.
In the rescue of that little pig,
throat uncut, there ought to be
a warning for other pigs on shore
that are getting fat, and to which
something ia going to happen.
? "
When the coal miners wanted
more work and said that they
would strike if they didn't get it,
they were told by the Department
of Justice that they would be put
in Jail if they struck.
When the Sugar Trust says it
must have more money and the
public cannot have sugar unless it
pavs the price, nobody says: "You
will be put in jail if you do that,"
and nobody issues an injunction.
Easy to enjoin a workman from
getting more pay, but impossible,
apparently, to enjoin a trust
against vicious profiteering.
Sodjar Assimavnu, of Turkey,
says:
"We shall never be governed by
the cross. The crescent will al
ways remain aloft, despite the
broken sword."
Sodjar may be mistaken.
About 600 years ago?on May
I 145'?, to be exact, the cross
I stood at the top of Saint Sophia
in Constantinople. On the next
day Sultan Mohammed II captured
the city. Making himself com
fortable in the palace of the dead
Christian Emperor, Palaclogus, ho
recited the Persian verse:
"The spider has woven his web
in the imperial palace; the owl
hath sung her watch song on the
towers of Afrasiab."
Then the mezzin climbed to the
highest turret of St. Sophia, took
down the cross, put up the crescent
and shouted the news that Allah
and Mohammed, his prophet, were
the new rulers, while two thirds
of the Christian inhabitant* were
driven away as Turkish slaves,
men for hard labor, women for
worse labor.
Mr. Sodiar, if he reads the
history of his country, knows that
the crescent, like other things,
must have its ups and downs. He
might find food for thought in this
fact: The Turkish Sultan who
' put the crescent in place of the
^ cross on top of St. Sophia was a
man highly educated in mathe
matics and other sciences, speak
ing five languages, believing in no
superstition and, least of all, in
Mohammed. Today's Sultan, an
allied joke in Constantinople, does
believe in Mohammed and doesn't
know much about anything else.
That's what's the matter with the
crescent.
There's agitation in London
among prosperous travelers from
this country because the lord
Chamberlain has not yet announced
the list of American women that
Queen Mary will be pleased to
receive at Court.
As gently as possible it in
intimated that some names of
young and old women that want
to be presented ' require careful
scrutiny." No wonder, with
twenty thousand new millionaire*
rested by profiteering in this
country since the war.
The United States Needs
No Tips or Presents from
J. Pierpont Morgan
President Wilson submits to Congress an offer from J.
Pierpont Morgan of a house to be used as the United States
embassy in London.
No doubt, Mr. Morgan would be very glad, as it is out
of his gigantic war profits, to give to the United States the
residence of the American ambassador. But the'United
States is not accepting tips from Mr. Morgan, and the peo
ple of the United States do not intend that the man they
send to England to represent this country shall have a roof
over his head by the grace of J. Pierpont Morgan, banker.
This country can pay for what it needs, in London or
elsewhere, in spite of the largo profits recently taken out
of the public purse by "patriots" during the war.
Mr. Morgan, as a money lender and discounter of notes,
extremely active financial war patriot, fills his role accept
ably. Few do it better.
People will thank him to remain inside of his own
limits and not to offer himself as the condescending patron
of the United States.
It will be interesting to see just >vhat members of Con
gress will vote to make the ambassador of the United States
the charity tenant of Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan.
The United States prefers, if possible, to be represented
by an ambassador on whom no Anglo-American banking
concern lias any mortgage, direct or indirect.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES.
POLES BATTLE REDS
ON 300-MILE FRONT
Report Successful Counter
Thrusts Along Right Flank.
Retake Positions.
LONDON, Mar 26.?Fighting be
tw?on the Russian Bolsheviki and the
Poles Is raging over a front of ap
proximately .TOO miles, with the Poles
making successful counter thrusts
along their right flank, according to
advices received here today.
The following communique from the
Polish war office was telegraphed
from Warsaw:
"We repulsed a violent attack
against our right flank on the
IJnelster river. We recaptured posi
tions that had previously been lost.
Two villages were taken by the Poles
near the Kojow bridgehead, on the
Dnieper. We repulsed an attack at
the Pceczyca bridgcheid. We dis
armed an attacking Russian steamer
near Rzyszce.w."
CIVIL WAR IS RAGING IN
ALBANIA LONDON HEARS
LONDON, May 26.?Civil war haa
broken out in Albania, according to
an Kxchange Telegraph dispatch from
Durazzo today. The Albanian pro
visional government is reported to be
powerless.
Under agreements reached at Pari*,
northern and southern Albania were
to be partitioned, Greece was to get
a slice of southern Albania, while
Italy and Jugo-Slavta were to benefit
in the north.
GERMANY TO TAKE PART
IN CONFERENCE AT SPA
Allien Invitation Is Formally Ac
cepted?Date of Parley Is
( hanged to June 21.
BERLIN, May 20.?Germany has
formally accepted the Invitation of
the allies to participate In the confer
ence at Spa on June 21, the chancellor
announced today. Lord Kilmarnock
the Rritlsh charge d'affaires, has been
Informed that the new date of the
conference Is acceptable to Germany.
The noclalist newspaper Vorwaerts
expresses fears that disorders may
arise In Germany before the Spa con
ference convenes, as a reault of "mili
tary plotting." Vorwaerts warns, alao.
of possible communist disorders.
REDS FORCING CRISIS
EOR POLISH CABINET
Socialists Demanding Peace as
Bolsheviki Advance on Northern
Battle Front.
BERLIN. May 26.?Tho Tollsh cabi
net la faring a crisis as a result of
the Russian Kolshevlk advance on the
northern end of the Ruaso-Pollah
battle front, according to an uncon
firmed report from l>odz today.
Negotiations are said to be In prog
ress at Warsaw for the formation of
a coalition cabinet with Moderate
Socialists, participating The social
ists are reported to he demanding
peace with Russia, dissolution of the
Polish parliament and a new general
election.
DANIELS DENIES
SHIPS LACKED MEN
Head of Wavy Says 90 Per
Cent of Vessels Had
Crews in 1915.
Ninety per cent of the effective
ships of the navy were fully manned
in 1015. Secretary of the Navy Daniels
today told the Senate committee in
vestigating charges made by Ad
lels on statements made before the |
committee that a large number of
ships were not manned.
"The report of the Bureau of Navi
gation shows 00 per cent of the ef
fective ships of the Navy werr fully
manned In 1910," Daniels declared.
Senator Trammel. Democrat, Flor
ida. said Capt. J. K. Taussig. who
made the charge of undermanned
ships counted discarded and useless
vessels.
Daniels contended his statement
made at the boginnlnp of the war
that the Navy whs ready from stem
to stent," was founded on facts and
"true in every particular."
"You have asked all witnesses
about my "stem to stern" statement
and I am prepared for It." Daniels
! said, beginning to read a prepared
'statement outlining the condition of
the Navy wheu war began.
FIND THREE HUSBANDS
SUCCUMBED TO POISON
Examination Shows Three Spouses
of Mrs. Tomaskiewicz Died
From Arsenic Done.
NORTHAMPTON. Mass. May 2??
Further testimony that three of the
five husbands of Mrs. Anna Tomaskle
wicz died from poison was given yes
terday by experts called by the prose
cution In the woman's trial for the
murder of Andrew Tomaskicwiez. her
last husband.
Dr. Oeorge B. Mngrath. a pa.holo
Iflst. said that the ezamination of the
bodies of the three men?Tomaikle
wic*. Theodore Darmetka and Peter
Bllos- showed that they were poison
ed by arsenic.
WOOD BEATEN IN W. VA.,
LATEST RETURNS SHOW
Sutherland Seems Sure of 8,000 Ma
jority in Raee for G. O. P.
Presidential Nomination.
CHARI.KSTON, W. Va? May 2?.?
I latest rtturna from ye?t*rday ? pri
nuiries far from complete. Indicate
that Senator Sutherland will carry
the State over Wood for the Repub
lican Presidential nomination by from
S.000 th 10.000 majority. Reports
from 140 precincts out of 1.330 pre
cincts in the Ktate ?lv# Sutherland
Wood. 2,012.
Returns are very alow In coming
In and ngur?a from only a few coun
try districts have been received.
SEIZE MILLIONAIRE'S RUM.
CH1CAOO, May !? ?C. B Smith.
President of the Stewart Warner Co..
received a visit from Major Dalrym
pie's prohibition agenta. HI# home
on the Sheridan road wan Invaded
and 100 caaes of liquor sailed
Mr Smith la a millionaire aad aays
he knowa of no law ha violated.
PHONE RATES
JUMP JUNE 1
Permission to Increase Cost of
Conversations Here
Granted Today.
ALL SERVICES ADVANCED
New Schedule Will Be Ef
fective Until January
31, 1921.
Telephone rates will be increased
June 1.
Permission to raise the cost of
telephone service, as requested in its
recent petition, was granted by the
Public Utilites Commission today to
the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele
phone Company.
Make Minor Changea.
The commission, however, made
two minor change* in the tariffs
asked by the company, modifying
several proposed message rate
charges. The new rates will be
effective until January 31, 1821.
The Increases are as follows:
Unlimited telephone service, now $5
a month to $5.50.
Two party line residence phones,
now 92.25 a month to 12.50.
Two-party-line business phones,
now $2.50 a month, to |3.
Extension station for flat rate tele
phones are Increased from 50 cents
to 75 cents a month.
Limited service, flfty calls or less
a month, now $3.50. Is Increased to
14. For the next hundred calls the
charge will be 5 cents each; next
fifty. 4 V* cents each; second flfty. 4
cents each; third flfty, 3 centH each,
and all calls over this number, 3 cents
each. This In arf Increase of 1 cent
a call, except for the Aral loo, whore
the increase is only H a cent.
Trunk lines, now $3.50 a month,
are increaaed to )4.
Tax Hatel (iaeata.
The company is permitted to charge
25 cents a month to list in the tele
phone directory permanent guests
using hotel or apartment house pri
vate branch exchange systems. ' This
Is a new tax.
Other changes in cost of switch
board service and equipment are al
lowed by the commission.
"It is of the opinion of the commis
sion that the distribution of I he In
creased charges as proposed by the
company In its suggested schedule of
rates Is fair, just and equitable, "the
rate order states.
"The larger Increase is made upon
the class of service which is employed
for business purposes, and which is
presumably directly profitable to the
user.
"The proposed rate schedule, there
fore, In general will he approved,
with the exception that in the case
of measured service, including both
the Individual lines and the private
branch exchange systems, where the
company proposes that the first fifty
local messages per month In excess
of the initial rate charge shall be at
the rate of 5cents each, the com
mission will establish the rate at 5
cents per message for the first 1"0
local messages in excess of the initial
monthly charge."
OPEN CAESAR'S SHIPYARD.
ROMK, May 26.?Shipyards hsve
been opened at Kiumlslno, twenty
one miles from Rome and the nearest
seaport to this city.
This Is the first time that ships
have been constructed at Ktumisino
since the da>? of the Roman empire.
Thirteen Counts In Indictment
Quashed by Judge
Anderson.
LEVER ACT IS ATTACKED
Only Five Charges Made
Against Men and Opera
tors Stand.
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind., May 26.?
Declaring that certain sections of
the Lever act are class legislation,
in that they permit farmers and
food dealers to hoard food and
charge excessive prices while deny
ing the Mune privilege as regards
coal to miners and operators, Judge
A. B. Anderson in United States
District Court here today sustained
the motion to qua.sh the indictments
recently returned against 125 coal
operators and miners on thirteen of
the eighteen counts, and overruled
the motion on the other Ave.
Two Sections Held Void.
Judge And'ruon. In delivering his
opinion, declared that amended sec
tion foi/r of the t^ever sot is void and
that the original section four ia in
sufficient also declared that aec
tion 26 of the l.cver act is void.
Tiie court's action today is the cul
mination of the lonK-slanding coal
controversy, having Its Inception in
the nation-wide strike of bituminous
coal miners last November. Out of
injunction proceedings which fol
lowed grew the Investigation into
the activities of miners and opera
tors by a special Federal grand Jury.
The indictment returned by the grand
Jury under which the coal men were
hailed Into court charged the 125
leaders of the coal industry with con
spiracy to violate the l.ever act by
connivance to restrict the production
and distribution of coal and conspir
acy to fix "excessive" prices.
Charles Kvans Hughes, chief coun
sel, and legal batteries for both the
miners and operators attacked the
constitutionality of the l^ever act
when the case first came up In the
court here three weeks ago. They
also attacked the Indictment as
faulty.
PRESIDENT PROTESTS
CUTTING DOWN OF TREES
President Wilson Is "slowly hut
steadily improving." l?r. nrayson
said today. The President has laid
out an immense amount of work for
himself this week and is attacking It
with his old time enthusiasm and vig
or.
In a recent drive through Rock
Creek Park. President Wilson noticed
a group of workmen engaged in cut
ting down some of the trees which
border the driveway. The President
stopped the automobile and asked of
the workmen by whose authority they
were cutting down the trees.
t'pon his return to the White
House he sent a vigorous note of
protest to Col. C. S. Kidly, superin
tendent of public buildings and
grounds, in charge of Hock Creek
Park. In the letter the President Is
understood to have criticised the lack
of knowledge of the principles of for
estry displayed In the work and also
to have voiced his objection to the re
moval tof any of the trees in the na
tional park system of the Capital
City.
Levi P. Morton Leaves
Bulk of $10,000,000
Estate to Relatives
Disposing of an estate valued ut $10 000,00J, tho will of
Levi Parsons Morton, fprmer \ ice President of the I nited
States, dated Juno 29, 1910, and codicils dated March 30,
1911; June 14, 1911, arid June 24, 1911, were tiled for pro
bate today.
? The Cathedral of St. John the Di
vine, New York, la bequeathed fflOO.OOO
"for the erection and completion and
ftirnlahlng of what Ik . commonly
known a? the choir of the Cathedral,
which K 1ft Include* the orRan. which
la Kiven an a memorial to my daugh
ter I^ena, from her fathe^ and mother,
and aleo Include* the altar and rere
do*. which I xhould like dedicated ??
a memorial to my wife after her
death."
Slater Oeta 1J.000 Annuity.
Mra. Martha Morton Hartpence.
widow of the Rev. Allanaon Hart
pence, of Philadelphia, a Muter of te?
tator, la Riven f'J.nno per year during
life, and to hi* alater-ln-law, Caroline
l.ay, wife of Richard O. I.ay, I* to re
ceive $1.^00 a vear for ten year*.
Teetator'* grandaon. Morton Cor
coran Kuatla. la to receive the atlver
writing ?et and candleatlcka preaented
to th? former by (he U. K. Senate on
! th* expiration of Itl* farm aa Vice
' 1'realdent of the United Stataa. An
nuitle* and legacies arc Riven to serv
ant* Ions: In testator's employ, and
personal effects, furniture, etc., are
distributed anion* the children.
Itealdue to Daughters.
The residue of the estate Is be
queathed one share In trust for each
of the surviving daughters. Mrs. Wil
liam C. Kustls. Miss Helen Morton,
and Miss Mary Morton, and one share
to the children of Mrs. Wlnthrop
Kutherford. a deceased daughter. On
the death of a daughter her share la
to g<> to her Issue, or If she dies with
out Issue then the surviving children
or Issue of deceased children.
The executors named by testator
are Charles II. Allen. Morton Mlnot,
and Hronson Wlnthrop. Tfcey and the
American Security and Trust Com
pany of this city are appointed trus
tees of the trusts under the will. The
will la witnessed by William ().
Choeta and Nelson Shlpman, of New
York city, and Walter R. H. Harding
ham. of rialafleld. N. J.
Senators Simmons and Reed Say
' U. S. Must Keep Ships
I
By SENATOR F. M. SIMMONS, of North Carolina.
I yield to no man in my desire to establish a merchant marine
in thiii country, and I have stood upon the Senate floor advocating
this policy for the past eight years. Therefore 1 have been in
perfect accord with Mr. Hearst's activities in stopping the ship sale.
I don't want the Government to go out of the shipping business.
We need a merchant marine for the national defense and for our
commercial growth, and we declare it to be our policy to do what
ever it may be necessary to meet this need.
I am thoroughly convinced that if we are to have within our
generation an adequate merchant marine we will ha * to establish it
through the instrumentality of the Government right now.
I insist that the present conditions with respect to the move
ment of our stupendous trade through the New York ports which are |
now congested, suggest the imperative necessity of the immediate
utilization of the ideal harbors of the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific 1
coast*. The ports of Wilmington, Jacksonville, Charleston, Savannah ,
and Brunswick already have been utilized by the Shipping Board to [
eliminate the long haul by rail from the Middle and Southern States,
thus Having from 1,000 to 2,000 miles transportation, and it has done
this by allocating merchant ship* which are now operating in the
West Indian and South American ports.
By SENATOR JAMES A. REED, of Miaaouri.
This Merchant Marine bill passed by the Senate is a dangerous
measure. It will not, in my opinion, have the desired effect upon the
American Merchant Marine.
The Shipping Board, which would have sold the German liners
for practically nothing by this time, had it not been for the injunc
tion proceedings instituted by a private citizen, William Randolph
Hearst, should not have that power for the sale of ships.
In my opinion, the rouiue that would prove beneficial for the
\merican Merchant Marine would be continued control of all this
shipping in the hands of Congress itself. If it is necessary for the
development of the merchant marine to charter the ships to private
operators, do so, but do not let this great fleet be dissipated in the
hands of a Shipping Board presumably responsible to no one.
Investigation by Washington
Times Ends Tale Fortune
Is Now flowing. *
-
NO OIL.
Investigation by The Time* to
day disclosed that the rumor of
finding oil in Maryland waa en
tirely unfounded.
That part of Washington
has invented money in oil well promo
tion in Maryland was agog today^wlth
the rumor that oil had b?*n i.truck
bv the Potomac Oil and C?as
nany drillers on the Marlboro road^
Sidney M. Paige. United State.. Geo
logical Survey expert, with a P
sentativc of The Time*. visited tha
well at 11 o'clock this morning.
They arrived just it the moment
when the bit was being drawn from
The credulous rushed to the sal s
offices of the oil company in an en
deavor to buy stock.
Heal estate dealers began looking
over Plots of Prince Georges county.
The safety-nrst Investors Jumped
Into automobiles and burned up the
r?There they were told that the hole
had been sunk to 1.1*4 feet, and that
-oil might come in any time now.
But there was no oil.
Consul Advised Employes of
Sugar Refining Company Are
Now Prisoners.
The American consul at Chihuahua.
STsSlSAS
and llomer Carr. wno
prl.oners at .limine*. C hihuahua.
.JKStor..<*" '
? hii under df tent Ion in tna
c"" i-^nTZ
"'0n embassy at Mexico City reported.
Ui response to an inquiry from the
State Department.
uirvifO PITY. May 2??The com
MI.X It ;i oeti. Alvaro
mission appo. r?li(iate the death of
2br'"?r.no r" nT" ported today
Venu*tiano . . ? ].?? iiorn n ft -
that the former pre* r of
sasslnated and tha <"c h d
r;r[?eHd'r;t.c0,d:^o^ be dure.
taThert'committee reeommende.l ^ha^
?*i pe;r;.:c^?tp""? 'ea?hrr u"
prosecuud ?rd the P^sen"' roapo.
.IhmtV of each one defln.UlT^
Tnenm KorM.nato Zua.ua Rodrlgue.
Malpica, 1 ouHe. Klorduy and Itoquo
^^Cabrer^ fomar .eere..ryfcOf
if:,
now In tha penitentiary.
VETO OF SHIP BILL
IS ASKED BY LABDR
Federal Union Leaders Bitter
Against Measure Authorizing
Sale of Liners.
NEW YORK. May 26.?A w*?e of
protest against tho Jones shipping1
bill, now before Congress, similar to
that which prevented the Shipping
Board's previous attempt to nullify
the American shipping industry, arose
late yesterday when prominent labor
leaders voiced objections to the bill.
The flrst step to be taken by the
labor leaders of this city was the an
nouncement by Edward I. Hannah,
president of the Central Federated
Union, that an official communica
tion would be sent to President Sam
uel Gompers. of the A. F. of L?., re
questing him to urge President Wil
son to veto the measure in the event
it comes to him for approval.
President Hannah said:
"The Central Federated Union is
unanimously opposed to any move to
sell the nucleus of an American mer
chant marine. When William Ran
dolph Hearst made his successful at
tempt to stay the selling of the
I<eviathan and twenty-nine other
seized liners, the laboring masses
were all behind his move.
"We will renew our efforts to kill
this contemplated grab of vessels, and
our organ Ir.atIon in this city will ask
Mr. (Jompers to do his utmost to pre
vent legislation authorizing the sale.
"These ships must be kept under
the American flag, and the only way
this can be assured is to keep them
where they are at the present mo
ment. We have no doubt that if they
are sold they will soon be flying
foreign flags and competing with us."
Ernest Unhm, tho secretary of the
C. F. U? said:
"I know the action the Central
Federated Union took some time ago
on this question, and now that a
new effort is being made to sell our
ships. It becomes our solemn duty
to send an official communication to
President Wilson, asking him to veto
the bill. No time will be lost In do
ing this. The ships must stav under
the Stars and Stripes, and the only
I way to do this is to keep them in
our custody."
Thomas Nelson, assistant manager
of the Marine Engineer's Beneficial
Association said: :
"The marine englneern protest as
a unit against this latest attempt to
dispose of our merchant marine."
INDECENT MOVIE FILMS
ARE BARRED FROM MAILS
President Signs Bill to K?p Them
Out of Interatate
Commerce.
President Wilson today algned the
bill introduced by Congressman Jos
eph Walsh of Washington amending
the Federal penal code so as to In
clude motion picture films In the
same class as printed matter In the
list of objectionable articles that are
prohibited from carriage by common
carrier from one State to another, or
through the malls.
The action was the result of a pe
tition by the National Association of
the Motion Picture Industry In Its
campaign for better motion picture
films. The law lias always prohibit
ed the sending of Indecent or obscene
literature through the mail, but no
provision was made for motion pic
ture films.
If yen enntemplate a trip to New
York, tbe Washington Times lintel
Hnrenn will, nltknnl rharge. re
serve imw far ran. Can Mala BN.
Resolution Would Permit Board
To Dispose of All But
the Navy.
FARMERS VOICE PROTEST
$3,225,000 Craft, Failing of
U. S. Buyers, to Be
Sacrificed Abroad.
Congressional opposition to tha
shipping bill, now in conference, is
developing rapidly to save the Gov
ernment merchant marine of mora
than 1,800 vessels, the sale of which
is ordered by the provisions of tha
bill as it now stands.
It ia now being realized by mem
bers of both houses of Congress that
the bill, if not reviaed, will not only
permit, but will actually direct the
?ale by the Shipping Board of all
vesaels owned by the Government
except those of the United States
navy and a few vessels under con
tract by the department.
Furthermore, the bill "authorizes
and directs" the sale of ships of less
than six thousand dead-weight ton
nage to foreign governments and
citizens of foreign governments if it
be found that, "after diligent effort,"
the board cannot dispose of them to
American citizens.
Aliens Get Easy Terms.
Aliens who wish to purchase
these Governmept-owned ships may
do and will be granted ten years
in which to pay for them.
The sale ?C the magnificent fleet
of twenty-nine former German lin
ers, headed by the Leviathan, also
lis specifically authorized by the bill.
These drastic and un-American
provisions, permitting foreigners to
purchase American Government
ships on easy terms, have aroused
the minority in Congress who have
opposed the bill, and who, it is be
lieved^ will attempt to have it modi
fied in conference.
Members of Congress who oppose
the bill see in it a deliberate attempt
to turn over the 1,800 Government
vessels, built with money supplied
by the American people, to private
interests, who can purchase the ships
on easy terms.
The Farmers' National Council,
representing all the great farm and
grange organizations of the coun
try, today issued a formal protest
against the bill. It will engage
actively in efforta to bring about
its modification.
"Big Business" Pleased.
Benjamin C. Marsh, secretary antt
director of legislation of tlie Farm
ers' National Council, said today ha
had no doubt that the big financial
interests are thoroughly gratified
with the terms of tho bill. Kxprcss
ing the opinion of farmers' organiza
tions throughout the country against
the bill. Mr. Marsh said:
patriotic Amrrlran who I a
?rated kl> hard-earned utIki In
? ?mrraarnl bond* wMId tike tn
know, bownrr, why It waa that thin
bill wan passed without a roll eall.
"The bill permits the United Stales
Shipping Board to turn about thrco
and a quarter billion dollars' worth
of ships over to private interests to
make huge profits.
"We believe that this was abso
lutely contrary to the purposes foe
which Uherty bonds were subscribed,
and the record shows that the farm
ers of America at least do not want
to have their money used to enrich
the already over rich financial inter
ests."
Tho Farmers' National Orange re
cently adopted a resolution "that tho
ships should be owned and operated
only by tho Government."
Opponents of the bill here consider
it unfortunate that members of Con
gress who voted for its passage can
not realise that the complete failuro
made by the railroads In the t)ire?
months since they were returned Is
sufficient argument against turniric
over a natural monopoly to privato
exploiters.
roncrrwari Vslpe Ire.
One member of Congress said to
day that "If the American people can
be made to realise Just what this bill
means, they will never permit It to
pass."
Following are the opinions of Con
gressmen who have made a deter
mined tight against the passage ot
the bill, btit who have been over
ruled by the majority:
< oagreaaman Itoyal Johnaoa. Ite.
publleaa, of South Dakota?"I am
opposed to the sale of the ships. Un
der the policy proposed In the hill
now in conference, the vessels which
lifcve been built with billions of dol
lars of the people's money would b<?
Uirned over to the big shipping in
terests.
"This is another means of Oving
somebody sn opportunity to make tre
mendous profits out of the war. Tlia
Government ought to keep Its ships,
(Continued oa rag* 3, Column 4.) ^