Evening Star Newspaper, March 19, 1922, Page 41

EDITORIAL SECTION he Sunday Star. 2—12 Pages . WASHINGTON, D. CONTROL OF NEXT HOUSE | ER TN ——— BIG STAKE IN CAMP AIGN!Trouhlesome Problems Await Return | Of President Harding From the South, EDITORIAL PAGE D e b NATIONAL PROBLEMS SPECIAL ARTICLES Part SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 19, FEDERAL COURTS UNABLE TO KEEP JUSTICE MOVING Republicans to Take the Aggressive With Proposed to Appoint Additional District Statement of Things Accomplished in Harding’s First Year. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. HE republican membership ot the House is worrled as fol before in many vears facing an election—individually and coltectively. They are very frank expressions of widespread dissatisfaction on the gencral grounds that “Cougress has not dome thing, and morc specitically because taxes were not still further reduced and because of the feeling over the soldier bonus. There are 301 republicans Mouse, as against the campaign this year is largely see how many republicans can custed. As many of sitting republic ans were accidents, elected more in DProtest against the preceeding admm- istration than out of devotion to re- publicanisin, it is not to be expected that the republican solidarity in an unprecedentcd number of states wiil be maintained. A a matter of fact, the in democrats, so to the republican leaders appreciate that for the orderly conduct of legislation as well as to hold the republican forces more cohesively together m support of the administration's pro- gram, it will be just as well to lose wome of the present unwicldly majority. SAFE WORKING MAJORITIES WILL SATISFY LEADERS. The republican congressional com- mittee, which has for more than a month been working on a definite campaign program. belicves that it will hold control of both the House cnate by substantinl working majorities.”” and down deep that's all n leade really want. the repub! Re the puarty in power, the re- publicans enter the campaign on The defensive. because they are the party subjeet to criticism for what has been aone or not dore. The republica gram, Towever, does not propose await democratic attack, but to wage a persistently aggressive campaign. They propose to go before the people on an issue of fact. The republican congressionual committee in confer- cnee has decided that the resentment throughout the country is not really against the republican members ol Congress, but azainst conditions tor which the democrats were largely re- <ponsible, which the democrats have domo their utmoest to prevent the re- publicans (rom improving, and thatl the democrats have cunningly taken advadtage of the situation to misiead the people and confuse their judg- wment. The republican campaign plan is, in brief, to get to the people and to keep emphasizing a carefully pre- pared statement of republican achievement. This drive is being carefully organized by Representa- worried by | arouse a public state of mind which it will be difficult to correct. That's; why the committee is anxious to get out it statement of facts on the republican {achievements as soon as possible and as persistently as possible. L | Michigan is a notable exception to the character of letters the committee received. Every letter from Michigun | Was encouraging and written in a spirit i of co-operation, so that the committee feels Michigan is in a good condition. Massachusetts, on the contrary, is an example of how the editorial criticism of certain republican newspapers is causing a disturbed condition among the voters. It is explained that in the particular case of Massachusetts the | editorial criticism, is because Congress is cutting down on the size of the Army | and Nav | THINK THE WEST ALREADY 1IN REPUBLICAN BAG. The reports taus far received from the scouts mdicate to Chairman Fess and his counselors that the west is go- ing to be easy, aided materially by the batch of farmer legislation passed.and the works, and that the real fight is Boing to be in the east, where the oppo- tion is altogether due to dissatisfaction | because Congress has mot been able to reduce taxation as muca as was ex- y pected and over the soldier bonus meas- jure coming on, the business and finan- | cial interests being sore about this. Through the conferences with repub- lican members of the state delegations, the congressional committee is able to | work in close co-operation with the party leaders in euch state and to get concretely to them the essential state- ment of facL which the congressional committee befieves should be stressed— | { “Biving the people the real facts,” they jeall it. The political schools in each state are a new feature, and, as guessed, this is an idea of Chairman Fess, who is an old schoolmaster. The plan is to have such schools in overy state, as far as possible, and, as far as hi% own campaign will allow, Dr. Fess will personally take charge of these schools. Here is how he pro- poses to w send out word to all the active party workers in the state to meet at a certain place on a certain, day. Tn the forcnoon these workers would make their reports on To ditions and thus the cam- | paign committee could get a good sur- j vey of the situation in each state and | sce where action wus needed, finding [* lcut about disturbing eleménts, new political _ tendencies not heretofore observed. In the afternoon these party workers would be given general in- structions on the lines of attack deal- | |ing chiefly with the problem before the administration, what the adminis- tration has accomplished, the program may be BY EDWARD NELSON . 0. MESSENGER. HEN President Harding returns ‘to the capital he will find some of the public questions which were bother- some at the time of his departuré still full of wrinkles which he will be asked to iron out, and with Congress and the admin- istrative branch at odds. He will hive cause for gratitication, however, in the realization that the four-power treaty in the Senate en- joys brighter prospects of ratification than it did ten days ago, with consequently improved outlook for the other pending treaties. It now scems altogether likely, according to the estimates of Senate leaders, that the op- position to tie four-power treaty will fail to rally sufticient votes to defeat it, and there is possibility that when this outlook becomes a surety, a number of senators who arc now listed in the opposition will vote for ratifica-’ tion. The friends of the treaty would be glad to see as large & vote as possible rolled up for. the effect it would have abroad. * ¥ k ¥ The bonus legislation in the House will prob- ably cause the President some anxiety. The present status of the bonus bill ‘accentuates the differences between the legislative and administrative branches. The House seems bent upon going directly against the advise of the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, the controller of the currency and the gov- crnor of the Fedcral Reserve Board in fram- ing the bill. Some of the proponents of the bill are counting upon the possibility of win- ning the President over to their way of think-= ing. but it is not tFought by those who knew the state of the President's mind when he de- parted on his trip south that he is likely to change his attitude. What the ultimate fate of the bonus bill will be, hardly any one at the Capitol ventures to predict. Democrats declare that the repub- licans run the risk of losing on the proposi- tion, whichever way it works out; that if the bill fails, through the differences of views be- tween the House and Senate or between the Congress and the President, the veterans will hold the party responsible, and that if taxes are increased, the country at large will resent the burden and express a protest at the polls. ¥ %k k ¥ However, one would think that the repre- sentatives and senators themselves would be the best judges of popular sentiment in their districts and states. and there is no mistaking ihe fact that a majority of the legislators arec determined to put through some kind of bonus legislation, if it is possible to do so. It is pointed out that the men who vote the legisla- tion into enactment will bear the individual responsibility for their action. . * k ok ok Secretary of War Weeks and the House are at odds over the military appropriation bill, the lious¢ being intent upon Lu“lns the Army down to a polnt which Secretary Weeks de- clares to be below the margin of national safety. While down south-the Secretary gave out a statement declaring that if the appro- priations were reduced ho would have to abon- don a number of milltary posts, the sustaining of which is supposed to be of Interest to the communities in which they are located. The creation of a milltary post has been an asset to congressmen in the past. The shade of Theodore Roosevelt was in- voked In the House the other day in protest against the plan to cut down the Army. Rep- resentative Dallinger of Massachusetts, who said that no one thing stands out more prom- inently than Roosevelt's unfaltering advocacy of national preparedness, predicted that i he were alive he would oppose the drastic cuts now planned in national defense. The Army consists of 139,000 and the pending bill pro- poses to reduce it to 115,060 men and 11,000 commissioned personnel. Secretary Weeks has insisted that 25,000 men are needed all the time to patrol the Mexican border: * K ¥ % Senator Harris of Georgia called-the atten- tion of the Senate to the possibility of a lapse in the law restricting immigration which might let in a horde of immigrants. The pending bill to extend the present temporary restrictive measure, if it becomes law in its present shape, would expire June 30, 1923. Senator Harris pointed out that unless Con- kress were called in extra session at that time, the steamship companies would be free to rush in immigrants without hindrance. He wants the law extended to 1924, and an amendment requiring all immigrants to be brought in American ships, so that our agents could pre- vent undesirable ones coming in. Senator Harris stated that the head of the American Legion claims there are 700,000 ex- service men out of employment now, and he protests against immigrants adding to the un- employment situation. ¥ % k ¥ That the state elections of next fall may furnish some outstunding figure to be avail- able as presidential candidacy timber two years later is u possibility contemplated by some dgmocrats high in the party councils. The democrats, it is said, are counting upon wresting two or three governorships from the republicans, und in such case and in event of a notable change in political form of a pivotal state the successful candidate might be con- sidered in line for the presidential nomina- tion. It is pointed out by these democrats that in hoth parties, but in the democratic party espe- cially, the road to the presidency has fre- quently led through the governorship. Tn 1920, to be sure, it led only to the nomination, when Gov. Cox of Ohio was chosen, but Cleveéland's elevation was a striking example of the opera: tlon of the tradition. * % ok ok Presidential sentiment as to candidates in the democratic rank and file is described as being in a fluid state at this time, liable to crystalization by more than one means. As a democratic lcader suggested the other day, a vear is a long time in politics nowada: and two years can be fraught with possibilities of many changes. Men who now think bright the chanees of the democrats carrying the country in 1924, and in that view regarding the presidential mnomination as attractive, might change their view ii the vicissitude of altered conditions. Mr. McAdoo and Mr. Cox are more in the limelight than uany others at this time, vet there are no outward evidences that they are contemplating the candidacy. Friends of Homer 8. Cummings of Connecticut are watch- ing the situation closely in his behalf, it is said, for although he has left active politic for the practice of law, temporarily, he has a following that cannot be dismissed as negligi- ble, which would push him to the front, when conditions seemed favorable. * ¥ ¥ % Senator Pomercne,of Ohio, who was talked about in 1920 for the nomination, is still being cherished by his friends as a pbssible arrow in the democratic quiver. In case the rcpub- licans should lose Ohio in the next elections it is thought here that Senator Pomerene's name would be found high in the list of availables under discussion. It is realized by democratic politicians that conditions expected to operate to the advantage of the democrats this fall may not be existent two years thereafter, and the more cautious of them do not look much beyond next November. They think that in all probability the repub- licans will receive a jolt in the fall elections, but not necessarily a knockout blow. Disturbed and restless conditions expected to obtain country-wide awhen these elections come off may e settled thereafter, and with the passage of time enabling the republicans to improve their record of legislation the bright prespects may vanish. * ok ok % National leaders of the democrats in Con- gress are keeping in close touch with political conditions in pivotal states to the gxtent of urging the selection of candidates for state offices and for the Senate in republican states with great care, looking to the choice of fhe best men in the party. This is especially true with regard to guber- natorial candidates, having in view the pos- sibility of the clections turning up a promising man for the presidential nomination in 1924, How Prosperity in America Is Dependent Upon Trade - Carried Overseas in Ships Under the American F latr' DINGLEY. 1921 . ;the armistice and during 1920 and,a nation eminent in trade are out- the United aid is Jeeded. In the hearings be- BY. G. GOULD LINCOL ETTING justice in the United States Is a tough job just at present. There is no inten- tion in this statement to reflect upon the judges and jurors of the country. The fact of the matter Judges in Order That Civil and Criminal Cases May Be Tried. district. For instance, it is urged, a Judge from Kansas should not be sent to try cases in Louislana or Texas, and vice versa. Opponents of prohibition have raised an issue that judges from “dry” districts should not be sent to Is that under existing conditions there | districts where the sentiment of the are not enough federal judges to go around—to handle all the civil and criminal cases that come before the federal district tourts. An examipa- tion of the dockets of the courts as of June 30, 1921—and there has been no change for the better in the in- terval, it is said—shows that there was the astounding total of 46,345} civil cases pending before the fed- eral district courts. It shows, too, that there were pending before these courts 26,802 criminal cases. There are eighty-six of these federal dis- tricts and 106 district judges. DISTRICT SUPREME COURT ALSO FAR BEHIND. These totals, however, do not in-| clude the cases and judges in the Supreme Court of the District of Co- lumbia, which is comparable to the) federal district courts in the stat Before the District Supreme Court| there were pending 3.624 civil cases and 2,724 criminal cases. There are six judges of the District Supreme! Court. These figures give the basic argu-| ment for the passage of the so-called | judges® bill, by which it is proposed federal district judges, them to various distri c same time giving the Chief Justice of the United State authority w shift the district judges to any district court where, in his opinion, the bus ness of the court requires additional ssistanco for the time being. The House has passed a bill for this pur- pose and the Senate is now wrestling with a similar measure. In the House bill twenty-two additional district judges are provided. The Senate judiciary committee, however, cut the number to nineteen. As pointed out by Senator Cummins of Jowa, who has charge of the judges® bill in the Senate, the Ameri- can people are in the habit of claim- ing that they stand very mear the front in the civilization of the world. But, he added, in respect to the ad- ministration of Justice it can be fairly stated they are marching in the rear rank of all clvilized people: to add from nineteen to twenty-two | people is “moist,”” to say the least. They have gone so far eten as to cberge that the sentiment back of this provision has been fostered by the “drys,” who believe that by send- ing dry judges Into wet territory they will get stricter enforcement of i the prohibitory law. But this charge has been scouted by Senator Cum- mins, who believes firmly in the plan to have the Chief Justice assign the federal judges to districts where the dockets are crowded, as he deems best. . ASSIGNMENT OF NEW JUDGES TO DISTRICTS PROVIDED, The bill selects the districts which the additional judges are to be originally assigued. Thg district of Massachusetts, for instance, is to have two of the new judges; the eastern district of New York, one; the southern district of New York. two; the eastern and western distric: of Pennsylvania, one cach; the north- ern district of Texas, one, and 80 on down the line. The selection of these districts has caused some heart burn- ings at the Capitol, where senators have urged the needs of their particu- lar states without avail. There has been some criticism, for instance, of the plan to give Massuchusetts two of these additional judges, and eyen Senator Cummins has indicated that he thought the judiciary commities made a mistake in fo doing, sayine he believed that one additional judge was sufficient for the Bay state. An important provision of the bili is that calling for an annual con- ference in Washington of the sen circuit judges of all the federal cir- cuits. This conference is to be pre- sided over by the Chief Justice of tlie United States. It is made the duty of the senior district judge in e district to report to the senior ci icuit judge of his circuit the condi tion of business in lis district, wies . his recommendations, and these re- iports of the district judges are 1v Le submitted to the Washington con- terence by the senior circuit juds [ here is not a country’of which I Inave any knowledge,” Senator Cum- | mins said, “which so imperfectly ad- ministers justice through the courts of the country as the United States and it will shock all senators, I am sure, when the facts are fairly be- fore them.” PERSONS HELD FOR CRIME LANGUISH IN JAIL. attending the conference. Furthe:- more, the Attorney General of th: Urited States is to report to the con- ference on matters pertaining to th courts of the United States, with pz ticular referencc to the cases which the United States may be @ari. The expenses of the judges visitin: ! washington for the conference are ¢ { be paid by the government. Because of the existing conditions; thousands and theusands of persons PROVIDES YEARLY SURVEY {OF COURT BUSINESS. tive Simeon 1n. Fess of Ohio, chair- Ilscl”gomg ther than Inesmine? man of the congressional campaign committec, whose concentration is States found with a large number of ships more or | ess serviceable, but faced with a tre- | fore the FHouse committee on mer- chant marine and fisheries during October and November, W. L. INCE the world war public atten- tion has been directed more than ever to America’s foreig vet unfinished and special warnings against unwise suggestions for legis- lation. At night there would be a} Provisions of the Bill. accused of crime must lie in jail forp =oing to be split up between the gen- eral campaizn and his own campaign for the Senate—which, if the truih were told, he wishes had gotten into. he WORKING OUT A P FOR REACHING VO Now this plan of reaching the voters with the right sort of state- ment is being worked out in three steps: Scouts are being sent into the several states, not In the interests of any particular candidates prior to the primaries, but fo find out what the real situatton is; the republican mem- bers of each state delegation are being called into conferences with Chairman Fess and other members of the campaign committee and being drilled in tho right sort of talk on republican achievement, and scheols are going to be conducted in each state, as far as possible, under the personal direction of Chairman Fess for the republican campaign workers. The keynote speech of the repub- Mean congressional campaign was sounded in the Housc the cther day by Chalrman Fess, presenting the record of this administration for the “people’s decision.” The campaign was planned in this way because the ~ommittee appreciated that it cannot be run on wind or make-believe, and that they must have the real facts to work from. That is why scouts have been scnt out into a number of states—Missouri, *Okla- homa, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, Illinols, etc, the scouts having in- structions to move about attracting as little attention as possible. They are looking for the weak spots, the ntrong places; what the committee must know to operate efficlenly; what the people are resentful about, so that it may be explained, etc. NG SCOUTS SEND ENCOURAG! REPORTS FROM STATES. The reports from these scouts are) surprisingly encouraging. Some of them—regarding Mis=ouri and Okla- homs, in particular—show that re- publicans could never hope to hold all they have and that it would be un- reasonable to expect to do so, only for the fact that the democratic party is in very bad shape in those states and needs considerable house- cleaning before it can be very cf- fective. ‘While replies from a circular letter to many prominent business leaders imme- diately after the reorganization of the congressional committes were quite bit- ter in tone—especially from eastern states and financial centers—the com- mittes s not much disturbed, because it is realized that the ariticisms came from men who nme matter how impa- tigntly they spoke or wrote would not taink of voting against the republican ticket. Those people are 'petulent, tempo- rarily, members of the congressional comumittes point out, but the cnly real danger is that they will work them- _slves into such a frame of mind as to trade. This is duc- primarily ss meeting with an address to the |mendous problem—what to do with| The dctailed provisions the new them. | bill giving indirect and dire8t govern- public. | "V pLAN SUMMARY TO SHOW ACCOMPLISHED. concrete statement of fact, which is thic republican campaign corner stone will be predicated on a summary of all administrations show- ing that cach was distinguished for some particular accomplishrgent, and then pointing out that “there are four outstanding evenls of vast signifi- cance” in the first year of Harding’s administration: The restoration of peace, the re- sumption of diplomatic and trade re- lations with all countrles, and the adjustment of our differences with foreign countrles growing out of the war. E The inauguration of a national bud- get system, which stands as the great- est fiscal reform since our govern- ment was inaugurated. The arms conference, whose perma- nent results are conceded in Europe and America as the greatest actom- plishment for world peace in history. The program for agricultural re- habllitation. The line of argunient to be followed by the republican campalgn workers is proposed as follow: These four features of this first year of Harding are outstanding and com pare most favorably wiht any of his predecessors. The handling of oug for- eign relations is equal to the best of his predecessors. Thearms conference has a wider meaning than any of his predecessors’ administrations except Washington In the Inauguration of our system of government, Jefferson in our national expansion and Lincola in the preservatfon of the Unlon. The budget system stands out as the country’s greatest reform to | The to the fact that the result of the war | place the United States in| was to the front rank of world powers and to demonstrate that while domesti markets aro essential foreign mar- kets are cqually necessary. Business depression and widespread unemployment (happily declining), following in the wake of war, were exceptionally acute, because the United States for years had depended largely upon its domestic markets and had not made a national busi- ness of developing foreign markets. Our foreign commerce grew and de- veloped steadily far forty years fol- lowing the civil war—from about a billion dollars in 1872 to more-than two billions in 1912. This was under favorable conditions—an expanding industrial era, tremendous growth of American industries and increasing yield of American farm products, and likewise a perlod of comparative peace, interrupted by only three wars of any consequence to destroy wealth and disturb economic conditions. Foreign Markets Neceasary Today the situation seems to be re- versed. The need of the hdur is not only domestic markots but fereign markets. In fact, it is alleged by some (although by no means univer- sally accepted) that a comprehensive development of foreign markets is necessary to a return of American in- dustrial and agricultural prosperity and a substantfal reduction of unem- ployment. » Obviously, one of the prime requi- 1t would be fruitiess to discuss the activities of the various boards. The problem was and is with the future, mot the past. Suflice to v, it is now pretty generally con- ceded that the best things possible were done, and that the present Ship- ping Board Is handling well an un- fortunate and perhaps unavoidable situation. * Every ono concedes that what was gained during the war must be sal- vaged as far as possible, not only the ships, but the experience, the advan- tage and tho vision. If America’s for- elgn commerce is to be developed 100 per cent during the next ten years, thero must be an adequate and up- to-date merchaift marine. In his ad- dress to Congress President Harding sald: “Nobody pretends any longer that shipping is a matter of concern only to the ports involved. Commerce on the seas is quite as vital to the great interfor as it is to our coast territory, east, south or west. Ship- ping’ s no' more a sectional interest than is agriculture or manufacturing. No one of them can be prosperous alone. . . . We need a favoring ispirit, an awakening American pride lund an avowed determination that we shall become in the main the.car- .rlers of our own commerce, in Eepite of all competition and all discour- agement: Experts Called Together. ‘To meet the situation, a group of experts was called together to survey sites for the permanent establishment | the situation and.formulate a cam- of forelgn markets fs an American|paign. In this group were Grosner merchant .marine. . The purpose of |M. Jones of the Department of Com- this article is’ to present the situa-|merce; Prof. Emory R. Johnson of tion to the average reéader, state the|the University of Pennsylvania; Win- essential facts ‘involved, tell how the proposed government aid will oper- ato if put Into effect, and what ob- throp L. Marvin, vice president and general manager of the American Steamship Owners' Assoclation; Rear shipping | foreign trade have been made public ment aid to American ships in the already. ‘Suffice to say that the high pots f the indircct ald are: (1) mendment of the navigation laws: (2) sale of the Shipping Board fieet (3) conetruction of a loan fund of §125,000,000 for bullding new vessels; (4) deductfon of income tax to the extent of 5 per cent of the freight paid on exports and imports; (5) one- half of our Immigrants to be brought on American vessels; (§) creafion of a naval reserve; (7) preference of American vessels by the departments of the govérnment and citizens; (8) creation of an army transport serv- ice; (9) American vessels alons al- Tslands, free to all vessels since 1913: (10) preferential rail rates on.through shipments In American vessels or enforcement of section 28 of the act of 1920; (11) co-operation of railroads with American- ships and a prefer- ence in frelght rates on merchandise exported or imported in American ships; (12) American control of ma- rine insurance. The high spots in the direct aid are: (1) A differential payment to American vessels; based on gross ton- nage, speed and miles traveled, be- ginning with haif-cent per gross ton for each,100 miles covered; (2) United States mails to be carried in Amerl- can vessels. The high spots in the merchant marine fund for the payment of di- Test ald are: (1) Ten per cent of the customs collections on all imports. and exports, both on American and foreign vessels, to be set aside; (2) tonnage taxes to be added to the fund. _Why Ald Ts Necessary, _ The thres fundaméntal reasons un- derlying the necessity for govern- stacles seem to make this government aid necessary. y 1t is well known and commonly ac-, knowledged that foreign trade cannot be promoted to the best advantage of the United States unless delivery ofl avoid waste, duplication, extrava- sance and unwise pork-barrel legis- jlation. This year’s procedure has al ready placed the country's business upon as sound a basis as our best reg- ulated businesses of the country. the goods is made in American ships, on the same principle that a large department store cannot do business satisfactorily if it does not have its NUMEROUS MINOR THINGS ALSO ON THE LIST. In addition to these four outstand- ing accomplishments many less im- portant, but nevertheless, valuable, measures have been advanced, among them the following: it depended upon competing depart- ment houses for delivery, it would be at a great disadvantage. During the forty years referred.to above the ex- In ita economy program it has re-|,orts of merchandise from the United duced the cost of government from [gites were carried largely dn’ ,,,,.,n, $19,000,000,000 in 1919 to $4,065,000,000 | vossels—in 1872 abouf 70 per cent, \,,.. promise of a reduction to $3,500,000,- | the latter year the Unfted sqte eX- 000 next year. Of this amount three | ported a billion and three-quartérs in fixed charges upon the Treasury,|value of merchandise and only 8 per owed In trade with the Phillppine Admirals H. H. Rousseau and Clar- ment ald to American ships in the ence L. Williams; Danlel H. Cox, for- jforetgn trade appear {6 be (1) higher mer manager of the steel ship con-ipay to American officers and crews; struction of the Kmergency Fleet|(2) higher subsistence standards and Coropration, and Norman 'Beecher ' costs; (3) higher fixed charges for of the Shipping Board's ldmlrally‘ln(ere!t insurance and depreciation counsel. on our admittedly higher ship values. Two methods of procedure to bring;To this might be added subsidies and about a permanent merchant marine | other forms of aid granted to the in the foreign trade offered them-!shipping of competing countries and for many years—one, discriminatingjcriminate against American vessels {mport duties on merchandise brought i in the race for the world’s commerce. in American vessels, and subsidies,| There is no controversy over wages. both - direct and indirect. The Jones®It is conceded that there is a higher shipping law of 1920 inclineq, toward Isu.le of wages on American ships, as discriminating duties and paved the Ythere is a_higher scale of ‘Wages on way therefor by directing the Presi- 1énd.. An ordinary American seaman dent to abrogate the portions of all|receives about $55 a month; a British treaties which prevent discriminating | scaman about $35, and an Italian sea- duties. Concerning the latter law|man about $25. A Japanese receives President Harding sald to Congress: |less. It costs more to cquip and pro- amounting to almost two billions, re- publicans inherited from the former administration—viz.: $975,000,000 in- terest, $381,000,000 sinking”fund and $490,000,000 disabled soldiers’ fund. The Sixty-seventh Congress revised the taxation system and saved $335,- 000,000 per year to the taxpayer. . {(Continued on Third Page.) i Y {thc present fiscal year, with' the |yl in 1912, it.was. 92 Der:£ent... cent was carried in American veuell Efforts to Revive nm = During that forty yeard:many ef- forts were made to revive American shipping in the foreign irade:--The story is well known. The world war created a_vital necessity_tor_ships, and three billion ‘doliars. "in'llt feverishly, fie result being that after: “Frankly, members of the House and Senate, eager as I am to join you in the making of an American merchant marine commensurate with our com- merce, the denouncement of our com- mercial treaties would-involve us in a.chaos of trade relationships and add indescribably to the confusion of the already ° discredited nnm world. . Cargoes wh visfon an American vessel than a' ves- sel of any other maritime country. To-compete with forelgn vessels this margin must be covered with some sort of government aid. Other Handicaps 1n Shipping. But it is_generally conceded that there are éven.more powerful rea- - make!sons _why soms form of Sovernment Clarlk, representing the National Mer- chant Maritie Association, made ma interesting ~ and “illuminating state- ments with.which the public may not be famillar, but which the Shipping ard and others know are true. Mr. Clark stated that “Canadian lines (railroads) make a preferential rate on freight coming through Can- a year or two, provided they are un- able to givo bond for their appear- ance, awaiting trial in criminal cases{ before these courts. So far as the trial of civil cases is concerned, the courts; since they glve precedenc whenever, possible to criminal cas are deplorably In arrears in the de-j termination of these cases. In the western. district of Missourl, for in- ada Jess than on American goods otherwise - shipped”; that *“American goods shipped to Australla by way of Canada have a lower tariff rating in Australia thln when shipped di- rect from the United States”; that “lobbles of foreign interests are seek- ing to break down our merchant ma- rine”; that “contracts between Amer- ican railroads and foreign shipping interests have been made =o that not & pound of American grain has moved in American ships in export to Eu- rope from a south Atlantic port in all 1920 or so far in 1921.” The United States Shipping Board has been in- vestigating this latter charge, and has the matter corrected somewhat. Soon it will be removed aitogether. Hereafter all American railroads will makes their through contracts with American steamship lines. Mr. Clark further stated that fin 1921 “Montreal and Georglan Bay ‘were congested with American wheat diverted away from New York, Phil- adelphia and New England ports to Canada”; that “cxport rates have been used principally to subsidize foreign-flag ships”; that “importers have been unable to get shipments direct, but must route them through Canada”; that “our laws requiring| rclunen ownership of United States vessels are evaded to control Ameri- can ships vital to the economic life of the American people.” All these statements are quotations from Mr. Clark's testimony as published in the hearings. Discriminate Against U. S. . Furthermore, discriminating import duties affect America’s foreign trade and shipping. Both the United King- dom and nearly all her dominions have a discriminating import duty against the United States. These dominions have increased their tariffs against all countries except the Unite@ Kingdom and dominions. Can- |ada and other possessions have three own ayatfim of delivery wagons. If|selves; In fact, have been uuglestad:the various methods employed to dis- |tariffs—the preferential, the ordinary, and the high. The Unltcd States gets the high. Despite the many cnn(erence- or agreements made between the United States Shipping Foard and foreign shipping lines as to rates, these con- ferences are all shaky. In November, 1921, the board had a fight with the London conference liners relative to the participation of American ships in the Egyptian cotton trade, and won | finally. Forelgn shippers enjoy & dif- ferential under American shippers|. because of lower transportation. If the fight for an American merchant marine is to be won it must be won | through some sort of government aid. In 1920 about 40 per cent of our imports and sbout 43 per cent of our o wers American vessels. - (Continued on Third Page.) l}nul draft cases were not included stance, an entire year passed without a single civll case having been tried and settled, becauss the judge—and | rightly so—gave the right of way to criminal eases. + The totals given for civil cases do not include the bankruptcy ecases pending, which number, in the fed- eral district courts 37,305, and in the District Supreme Cort #6. Whilo the bankruptey cases are in the hands of referces and commissions, never- thelese {he courts must, in the end, dispose of them. The enforcement of the mnational prohibition act is responsible for a considerable number of the criminal cases pending. In fact, on June 30, 1921, there were 11.737 of these cases Hnvolving violation of the prohibi- tion act before the federal district courts ‘and 266 beforo the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. DRAFT-EVASION CASES MAY NOT BE TRIED. There were on the same date pend- ing in the federal district courts 2i,- 581 cases arising under the draft law, calling men into military servico during the war, and §53-of these cases in the District Supreme Court. in the other totals already given, for the reason that, according to officials of the Department of Justice, it is expected that very few of these cases will ever be pressed to prosecution. But the courts must get rid of them, one way or another—by dismissal, if in no other-way. They lielp to clog tho dockets of: the courts. The proposal Lo increase the number of federal judges is meeting with some opposition in Congress, mnot- withstanding this imposing array of civil and criminal casee which are awaiting disposition. In the first place, some of the senators insist that the judges, in some cases, are not performing their tasks as speedily as possible. Then, too, others insist that mot the number of judges but the method: by which delay after de- lay s brought about in the trial of clu through attorneys taking ad- vantage of technicalities is the. real fauit. OPPOSITION TO THE PLAN FOR SHIFTING JUDGES. There is strong opposition, teo, to the proposal that the Chief Justice shall be allowed to transfer these Jjudges from district to district as he sees fit, The claim is made that the people charged with offenses in a given district are entitled fo be tried before a judge selected from 2,){ Through means of this confer. lit will be possiblo to ebtain a sur the condition of business ‘the federal courts. 1t will be po: | to prepare plans for the assignme: and transfer of judges to or fr ithe circuits or districts where 1 {state of business requires additions! Jassistance. The bill makes provision for the assignment cf a circult judge to =it in a district court in his circuit also, if there is nced of his help. The additional district judges arc tto bo appointed for “good behavior” which 15 synonymous for “life” in he ordinary course of events, and at the same salaries as other district judges. Thero are nine judicial cir- cuits of the United States, and for | the purpose of carrying out the pro- ! ns of the act the Court of Ap- peals of the District of Columbis: iy to be considered as a circult court, and the chicf justice of that court 1§ to attend the conference in Washing- ton referred to. The federal district judges may bo assigned to the Dif- trict Supreme Court to help out when the business of that court!s socrowd- ed as to demand aid, in the opiniou of the Chicf Justice of the United States. T'he West Virginia To Be Finished The battleship West Virginia, under construction by the Newport Newa company, has been selected by Secre- tary Denby for completion under the terms of the naval limitation treaty, instead of the battleship Washington, bullding by the New York Shipbulld- ing Company, at Camden, N. J. YThe West Virginia is 80 per cent completed and the Washington 69 per cent com- pleted. Work on the Washington will re- main suspended, as is the case with other mnew Dbattleships and battle cruisers which are to be scrapped. or converted when the treaty has been ratified. | By the teirms of the treaty the United Stgtes was authorized to complete two £hips, -“of the West Virginia class” which were under construction when the conference was called and on their completion to commission these with the fleet. and withdrawsl from the a¢- tive forces of the older: battleships North Dakota'and Delaware, which will be scrapped. +The third battleship ef that class, which will be included in the treaty fleet, is the Maryland, now in commission. The battleship Colorado, of the same class, is under construction at the Cam- den yards, but so nearly completed that she was figured as & complele ship in 116 treaty discussions, and thegs two, the Colorado_ and the West Vir- ginia, will be the vessels to be added to the fleét as the equivalent in the United States Navy for Japan's ton of the battleship Mutsu.