The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-11
IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Lodge Argues in Favor of THE New Canal
Treaty.
(By the Associated Press !

Wy eue ASSOcldLeQ PFGSS.)
Washington, Dec. 1O.-After the Senate
went into executive session TODAY Sena
tor H0ar presented the report of the Com
mittee on the Judiciary recom,penJ ~
the confirmation of Attorney General
Knox. He made brief statement re-
ferring to the protests against contirna-
tIon as made by the antitrust league
but said that after giving careful atten-
tlon to this representation the commit
tee had decided to recommend confirma-
tion No opposition was voiced bur az
ton on the nomination was postponed by
common consent.
The Senate then before taking IN the
lsthmian Canal Treaty proceeded to pass
upon other nominations of which there
are an exceptionally large number be-
fore the Senate.
After a number of nominations had
been confirmed Senator Lodge called up
the ay-Pauncefote treaty ana made a
brief statement regarding that conven-
tlon. The Senate then adjourned in order
to give the Democratic caucus commit
tee an opportunity to hold a meeting.
Mr. Lodge contended that the new
treaty does away with all the objection
able features of the treaty of the last
Congress, and enumerated the parIicu-
lars in which the revised agreement con-
forms to the action of the Senate in the
last Congress when the old treaty WAS be.
fore it. He analysed the new treaty
from beginning to end, showing that in
specific terms it abrogates the Clayton
Bulwer treaty of 1850, which, he said.
had stood constantly in the way of the
construction of an Isthmian Canal. The
abrogation of this treaty, he contended
was most important achievement and
he did not believe that the United States
should or would lose an opportunity 10
make secure that concession.
Senator Lodge also called attention to
the omission in paragraph one of Article
Three of the words lin time oc war as
in time of peace" He said that in tire old
treaty the paragraph read, the canal
shall be free and open, in time of war as
in time of peace, to the vessels of COM
merce and of war of all nations on terms
of entire equality, etc." He urged that
the omission of this phrase had the CT
feet practically of leaving the United
States to do with the canal in time of war
according to its own good pleasure.
He also referred to the fact that Rule
Z in the treaty of the powers regulat-
ing the control of the Suez Canal which
had been embodied in the original Hay
Pauncefote treaty, had been omitted in
the revised draft. He quote1 this rule
which provided that mo fertilization
shall be erected, commanding the canal
or the waters adjacent, ETC." This he
said was a material concession to the
United States, and was quite sufficient
to meet the objections made against that
agreement that the United States would
have no power to protect it's property. 1t
practically left the United States free to
fortify the canal in case it should be con-
sidered desirable to do so and was in
line with the omission of the restriction
keeping the canal open in time of war.
The fact that the invitation contained
in the old treaty to the various powers
to give their adherence to the agreement
had been eliminated from the new con-
vention, he said, was another compliance
with the action of the Senate on the orig
inal treaty These concessions NJ. Lodge
urged were ample and he contended that
they are of such nature as to render
the new treaty acceptable to all Amer
lean citizens who wanted to See cana,
CoISllu IEdCLlCdl1y, lie Sdiu, DiSdl
Britain had turned the entire manage
ment of the canal over to the United
States, not only in time of peace, but
in time of war, and no one could doubt
that in case of hostilities the United
States would be at liberty to constrre the
omission of the clause in rule one as
having this effect.
Senator Culberson asked Mr.. Lodge if
it was not true that Article VIII of the
Clayton Bulwer treaty establishing the
general principle of naturalization is not
retained in the new agreement, but Mr.
Lodge replied that while there was a
declaration to the effect that the gen.
eral principle of naturalization estab-
lished by that article is still to be kept
alive the whole tenor of the new treaty
was to neutralize and cancel the old
agreement He did not, consider that
the article would be of effect any lon
ger.
1t is understood that the new treaty
will be called up tomorrow.