The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-24
THE PANAMA CANAL
Back of the Protest Made
 By the British Government.

Washington, July A.-'The right of the United States to levy tolls or to exempt American ships from the pay ment of tolls while going through the Panama Canal is inherent in our gov eminent; any other view is wholly un- warranted by the facts in the case said Senator Clarence D. Clark. of Wyoming, chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate, in the course of a discussion of the, Hay -Pauncefote treaty relating to the operation and use of the Panama Canal His view is most generally accepted by Senators able number of it's members who take the position that the Hay-PauncefOte treaty. which took the place of the Clayton -Bulwer treaty of the early f1f- ties, makes it obligatory on the part of the United States to charge tolls on American ships engaged in the coastwise and foreign trade the same as on ships of other nations.
 ''If this view should prevail,'' said Senator James A. O'Gorman of New York in an interview on the Panama Canal bill, "the American people will be greatly surprised that so little re- gard for American nights was mani fested at the time Of the adoption of the Hay -Pauncefote treaty, because, if the view alluded to be the correct one, it must follow that while the Limited States has expended $4o0, ,0oO,o 600 of American money in the construction of the Canal it's citizens must be de- nied the rights that are enjoyed by the subjects of Great Britain and of ev- cry other foreign power. I cannot inn agine that condition nor will I believe that the late John Hay, who executed the treaty on the part of the United States, ever thought for a nloment that we were estopped from exempt ing American ships from the payment Of tolls because of certain clauses fof the treaty which are HOW interpreted to mean that very thing
 Tt does not seem possible that the right possessed by every other nation on earth with respect to the Panama Canal. our Canal is denied to our own citizens by a composition, or conven- tion, called treaty, which is not re- markable for it's precision of expres- sion Or it's respect for the Monroe Doctrine
 Senator OGorman then voiced what seems tN be a growing sentiment that behind the protest of Great Britain turks the influence of the railroads Of Canada and the United States which have been enabled to secure the co-op- eration of the British foreign office, thereby embarrassing the government of the United States in the attempt now Do1nR made TOT WnOlSSO1iIO I0SdS- laticn to keep railroad controlled ships off the Canal, so that competition may live and thrive.
 ''The railroad companies have been incorporated for railroad purposes, continued Senator O'Gorman, "ano they have destroyed competition wher. ever they have been permitted to se- cure control of competing water tran sportation facilities.
 If drastic legislation is needed to make competition wholesome on the Canal then I stand ready to vote for that legislation, beca use I have a live ly appreciation of the possibility of the injury which may be done the Amerl- can people if the railroads are not kept out of the Canal.
 We should exempt from the pay ment of tolls all American shipping going through the Canal and we should see to it that railroad-owned steamships should not use the Canal. Such action on the part of the Anleri- can Congress in my judgment would not violate the language and cannot violate the spirit of the treaty that has been invoked against us.'