The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-02-29
ARBITRATION TREATIES
MAY PUT CANAL IN PERIL
Senator Lodge Makes Speech on
Negotiations With France
and Germany

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29.-Not only
the Monroe doctrine, but America S
title TO the Panama canal might be
1eopardized II the British and French
arbitration treaties were ratified in
their present form, according to a
sensational speech in the senate to-
day by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge,
of Massachusetts.
I'VE are entirely in the dark" said
Lodge, "as 10 the meaning which the
Hague court. or a special commits
sion or high commission OF inquiry
might give TO the word Justifable'
or to the words Law and equity"
Lodge commended that the provision
creating the high joint commission
with its supreme authority should be
stricken from the treaties or that il
ratification that no question should
be submitted to arbitration without
the consent of the senate.
Suppose, tor example, some great
eastern power should directly or in
directly take possession Of harbor
on the west coast OF Mexico for
making it naval station and a place
OF arms" he said II am using no
Imagination in suggesting case II
is not very long since an indirect
movement was begun, and 1t is APP
parently still on foot, to obtain pos
session for foreign power OF Mag
dalena Bay, so | may fairly suppose
that such case might arise"
Lodge referred, of course, to Japan.
He added that if SUCH an attempt
should he made the United States
would protest that It was a violation
OF the Monroe doctrine.
What chance" he asked, do you
think the Monroe doctrine would
have before commission made up
in part of persons not Americans
The Monroe doctrine is not interna-
tional law. Ii is policy OF the
United States. declared as essential
TO its safety, and the strength Of the
doctrine Is exactly that of the power
OF the United States and its navy
Do you think the American people
would arbitrate it? | do not and
do not think it ought to be arbitrat-
ed"
Other questions that would not be
arbitrated, Lodge declared. would be
the attempted purchase by a foreign
power of the Galapagos Islands, own
ed by Ecuador, which lie near the
western mouth of the Panama canal;
or OF the Island of Curacao, owned
by Holland, near the eastern end OF
the canal.
Take the question OF immigration
F-rtfnese OF, If yott prefer Asiatie, :
said Lodge. Il do not believe the
American people would ever permit
40 hA n
Lodge then cited the Panama canal
tolls as something that could not be
aTbitrated
Our title to our own canal, he
said, might be called In question.
Three successive secretaries of state
have refused, and properly refused TO
submit our title TO arbitration and
now under clause 3 OF article 3. as
I interpret II. we might be forced TO
submit that title TO the Hague court
or some. outside tribunal. The men
who rejected the Hay-Herran treaty
because they hoped to extort more
than s10,000,000 from us for their
own use. are even now struggling,
through assistants in this country
who mean to share the spoil. to- Sc
cure by arbitration what they failed
70 obtain by blackmail and could not
seize by violence.
Our title TO the canal or TO our
territory anywhere is not to be drag
eec before any tribunal for examina'
ton and determination and nothing
should be subscribed TO by us which
nv any twisting could be construed
into a promise. that we would sub
nit such question TO any Judgment
but our own