Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-14
PORTS IN CANAL ZONE
PANAMA MERCHANTS EVIDENT
LY MIsUNDERsTAND SITUATION.
Assistant Attorney General Russell
Comments on a Press Dispatch
From the Isthmus.

Press dispatches announce that the busf-
ness men Of Panama are exercised over the
recent order establishing ports of entry at
Ancon and Crystobal. two places in the
canal zone. If these dispatches are true
the Panamans are laboring under a misun-
der standing of the facts and the intentions
of the canal commission.
The French company, in constructing the
canal, dredged out a deep water channel
to the mouth of the Rio Grande and erected
wharves at La Boca. This channel was
deep enough to enable sea-Soing crafts to
discharge their cargoes at the La Roca
wharves. The waters of the harbor ada
cent to the city of Panama are shallow,
and 1t Is necessary to lighter goods which
are landed at the wharf in the city OF
Panama
The merchants at Panama probably thinx
that the establishment of the Port of An
con. " hich is the name given by the oom-
mission to La BOca, will prevent the cen
tnued Use of the channel and whdrves at
La Roca for the landing of goods intended
for the city of Panama. These difficulties
eau be avoided by amicable arrangement
regarding the transportation of goods land
at La Boca for Panama in the same way
as has been done heretofore, with the
adoption of certain precautions and guar
antee for their safe delivery In Panama.
The best anchorage for vessels intending
to discharge goods at Panama IS III the
vicinity OF the 1SlanOS ceUeQ 10 tHe CHleu
States by the canal zone treaty, and the
merchants at Panama possibly fear that
they Will be deprived of the privilege OF
utilizing such anchorage or II the vessels
ere permitted to anchor IN those waters
that harbor fees wharfage. ETC.. will be
char ged; these are matters of detail that
are susceptible to adjustment on terms
that will, undoubtedly, prove satisfactory
to al parties
Mr.. Russell's Comment.
Special Assistant Attorney General Rus
sell of the Department of Justice, who has
Just returned from the Isthmus OF Panama,
where he went to assist Gov. Gen. Davis OF
the canal zone in organizing system OF
government for the zone, which recently
came under the control of the United States
government when shown a recently pup
lished Panama dispatch setting thai
legged dissatisfaction with the recently pro
mulgated customs arrangement Tor the
canal zone, made the following statement 10
a reporter for The Evening Star:
THE dispatch from Panama does not ap-
pear to indicate that any official OF the
Panaman government higher than the cap
tain Of the port of the city Of Panama Is
raising any question about the establish
ment, of a customs collection ONCE In the
district covered by the canal zone. The
dispatch expressly states that the protest
of the captain of the port has been for-
warded to the president of the republic or
Panama, which would seem to indicate tnat
he was not acting upon hlgner authoTlty
than his own.
ut appears to me quite natural that some
interests and some complaints on the part
of merchants affected should be occasioned
by the radical change in the situation. such
rs the establishment of a new customs dis
trict in the canal zone, but l do not see
how the Panaman government can oDJect
to such action, and think 1t doubtful that
1t will do SO. In fact, 1T was fully under
stood by the president and government OF
Panama that collections in the canal zone
were intended, and the rates of duties and
such matters were discussed fully and
freely.
1.-The Panama dispatch is confusing, and
I very much doubt its correctness In any
particular.
1t was stated by Mr.. Russell and con-
firmed by officials of the Treasury Depart
ment today that the collection OF customs
by the United States authorities on ship.
ments arriving at any port within the canal
zone which was practically coded to the
United States in no way violates any article
or part of the treaty entered into between
the United States and the government OF
Panama. The cities of Panama and Colon
are not within the canal zone.
The Panama Dispatch.
The Panama dispatch set forth that tho
decree Of Gov Davis. establishing custom
house in the canal zone. mad created ex-
citing comment in Panama. The principal
merchants of Panama and Colon assembled
in the Commercial Club yesterday to dis
cuss the situation and unanimously de-
cided that the establishment OF custom
houses in such form means the ruin or
the com merce of Panama and colon, ana
consequently of the republic.
The chamber of commerce at q meeting
appointed a committee to communicate
with the governor. The chamber considers
the applica ton of the Dingley tariff act not
only detrimental to the interests of COM
merce and of the government. but against
the spirit Of the canal treaty.
Yeste rday morning the steamship City OF
Pekin Of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany arrived from San Francisco On
arriving at Corinto the City of Pekin got
clearance papers from Ancon, the Amer
lean port in the canal zone. and the captain
of the port of Panama refused to receive
the steamer. claiming that under the treaty
with the United States all ports in Panama
are uader Jurisdiction of the Panaman au-
thorities. The captain of the port also
made a protest on the action of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, which he con-
sicers against the rights of the republic,
and sent a copy of 1t to the president and
to agents Of the company.
New Customs Collector.
It is understood that Mr.. T. M. Cook,
who has been connected with the customs