Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
TAFT WOULDBE SURE
Wants Congress to Define In
tent of Canal Bill.
NO VIOLATION OF TREATY
Memorandum Following His Ap-
prevail of the Measure.
REFERS TO BRITISH PROTEST
Presidents Signature Affixed Last
Night to Legislation Affecting
Control of Big Waterway.
REFERS TO BRITISH PROTEST

President Taft signed the Panama
| canal bill at ITO o'clock last night. Fol-
| lowing this he sent to Congress a memo
randum suggesting the advisa bilty of
the passage of a resolution which would
declare that this measure was not con-
sdered by this government a violation
of the treaty provision regarding the
canal.
In discussing the British protest
against the exemption of American ship
ping from the payment of tolls for the
use of the canal Mr.. Taft says the ir-
resstible conclusion to be drawn from it
is that although the United States owns.
controls and has paid for the canal, it is
restricted by treaty from aiding its own
commerce in the way that all the other
nations of the world may freely do.
"In view of the fact Mr.. Taft con-
tinues. that the Panama canal is be-
ing constructed by the United States
wholly at its own cost. upon territory
coded to it by the republic of Panama
restricted itself the United States en-
joys absolute rights Of ownership and
control, including the right to allow
it's own commerce the use of the
the sole question is has the United
States (by the terms of the Hay
Pauncefote treaty. deprived itself Of
the exercise of the right to pass it's
own commerce free, or to remit tolls
collected for the use Of the canal?"
Rules Specified in Treaty.
The President points out that the rules
specified in the article of the treaty
which is made the basis for the British
protest were adopted by the United
- W.,
ton of the canal and for no other pur-
pose" This article, he further says,
lis declaration of policy by the United
States that the canal shall be neutral,
that the attitude of this government to-
ward the commerce of the world is that
all nations will be treated alike and no
discrimination made by the United States
against any one of them observing the
rules adopted by the United States. In
other words it was a conditional favor
ed nation treatment, the measure of
which in the absence of express stipula
ton to that effect. is not what the coun-
try gives to its own nation, but the treat
ment it extends to other nations.
Thus it is seen that the rules are but
the basis of naturalization intended to eff
feet the neutrality which the United
States was willing should be the char
acter of the canal and not intended to
limit or hamper the United States in the
exercise of its sovereign power to deal
with it's own commerce using it's own
canal in whatsoever manner 1t saw fit"
The President argues that If there is
nothing in the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
preventing Great Britain and the other
nations from extending favors to their
shipping using the canal, and If there is
nothing that gives the United States any
supervision over or right to complain of
such action, then the British protest
leads to the absurd conclusion that this
government in constructing the canal.
maintaining the canal and defending the
canal, finds itself shorn of its right to deal
with its own commerce in it's own way.
while all other nations using the canal in
competition with American commerce en-
joy the same right and power unimpaired
Sums Up British Protest.
1.-The British protest. therefore, Is a
proposal to read into the treaty a sur
render by the United States of its right
to regulate its own commerce in it's own
way and by it's own method, a right
which neither Great Britain herself nor
any other nation that may use the canal
has surrendered or proposes to sur
render"
In his memorandum the President dis
sents from the view that permission to
register foreign-built vessels as vessels
of the United States for foreign trade.
and the admission. without duty. of ship
materials, Will interfere with the ship
building interests of the United States.
He approves the amendment of the inter-
state commerce act whereby railroad
companies are forbidden to own or con-
troll ships operated through the canal.
he also approves the provision which
prevents the owner of any steamship
who is guilty of violating the antitrust
law from using the canal.
The President presented the pen with
which he signed the canal bill to William
R. Wheeler of San Francisco.
Bill to Repeal Free Tolls.
After notification to the House tonight
that President Taft had signed the Pan
anna bill, Representative Sims of Tennes-
see. ranking member of the House inter-
state commerce committee, introduced a
bill repeating the provision of the law
providing for free tolls Of American ships
engaged in the coastwise trade. Mr.. Sims
explained that the bill had the indorse-
ment of the majority of the committee
and was intended to avoid threatening in
ternational complications over the free
tolls proposition. 1t will be acted upon
among the first bills taken up when Con-
gress reconvenes in December.