Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-18
TO VOTE NEXT THURSDAY
NO OPPOSITION TO SENATOR LODGES
PROPOSITION.
The Senate DevOtes Another After
noon to Discussing the Hay
PauncefOte Treaty.

| Just before adjourning late yesterday af-
ternoon the Senate gave its consent to the
fixing of definite time to vote upon the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty Senators Money
| and Mason had occupied the time Of the
| executive session in making speeches upon
the treaty, and when Mr.. Mason, who was
the last speaker, concluded Senator Lodge
| renewed his request to take a vote next
Thursday. No voice was raised in opposi-
ton, and the unanimous agreement was
recorded. The understanding is that the
voting shall begin on the amendment at
o'clock, and that the Senate shall continue
in session until the first vote on the treaty
itself is reached
Senator Moneys Protest.
Senator Moneys speech was a fiat protest
against the entire proceeding in connection
with the treaty He talked for two hours,
contendng for the right of the United
States to act in this matter Independently
of other nations He said that conditions
had changed greatly since 1850. when the
C1aytOn-Bulwer treaty was made, and add
ed that while the interest Of Great Britain
In constructing canal across the isthmus
and in maintaining it's neutrality had d.
minshed greatly because of the construc-
tton of the SueZ canal, the interest of the
United States in an isthmian canal had
been vastly enhanced because of growing
trade and our newly acquired possessions
In the orient. He said while England de-
manded that the United States should not
fortify the proposed isthmian canal, she
herself had fortifcation which practically
control the Suez canal. He read copious
extracts from speeches by Stephen A.
Douglas, Secretary Frelinghuysen and Sec
rotary Blaine the last mentioned in his in
struction to Minister LOVELY In support Of
his position. He called attention to the
fact that the Hepburn bill provides explicit
lV for the defense of nd he
asserted that the treaty should be defeated
outright and the canal bill passed in it's
stead.
Mr.. Mason Advocates His Amendment.
Senator Mason spoke in support of his
suggested amendment authorizing the
United States to defend the canal as it may
deem proper in case it constructs the canal.
He presented the arguments in support Of
our right to defend the waterway in con-
else and forcible terms, and received care
ful attention He corrected at the outset
the impression that in his effort to have
the treaty amended he is seeking to an
tagonize the administration Nothing he
sald was further from his thought because
he believed that in this as in all other mat
tiers the administration had been entirely
patriotic His difference of view was due
ne SAID, TO a different conception of the way
to reach a common end, that common end
being the welfare Of the American people
He then proceed to make his arg,l-
ment for the right to defend the canal in
case thls country constructs it with its own
money. He declared that the present in
stance furnishes the first precedent of n
great nations being asked in advance to
agree not to defend a great public work
the construction of which 1t is contemplate
lEg. lie did not consider that Great Brit
air should undertake to say what we
should DO in the matter. At the same time
he said he would have il understood that
ne was not actuated in his position by any
ard Uyrit,
while he considered that country in the
"sere and yellow leaf he thought that we
should deal with it as we would with either
the weakest nation or the strongest In
other words, he said. our dealing should be
on the plane OF justice and the manly as
Sertion of our own rights.
No Question About Rights
Is Mr.. Mason said there was and could be no
contention over the question of the right of
a nation to defend itself and its citizens
and property, and he argued that the recog-
milton of this right must enforce conces-
sion of the right to make precautionary de-
Tense. Not only, he argued have we the
right as nation to erect Notifications as
d means OF defense, but We have the right
according to interna tional usage to enter a
neutral or friendly territory and there make
assault if need be- This point he supported
by the citation of authorities, among others
the case of the steamer Carolina, appre-
hended by British forces in American wa
tiers in 1888.
If the United States should construct the
canal at its own cost he said 1t would have
the natural right to defend 1t, subject only
to it's treaties with Costa RIGA and Mica
ragua He cortended that natural
right of defense is more definitely fixed I'M
der international law than under the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty, and said that our rights
would be much stronger If the canal were
built by the nation such than if con-
structed by private enterprise, even though
the enterprise be American. In conclusion,
he urged the Senate to protect all the nat
ural rights of the nation.