Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-08-25
President SIGNS
THE CANAL BILL
PANAMA CANAL BILL BECAME \
LAW 7:10 LAST
NIGHT
Discussed BRITISH protest
Declares Englands Protest of Per Toll
Provision Is Untcnablc With the
Real Facts.

WASHINGTON, Aug, 24-President
Taft signed the Panama canal bill az
1910 o'clock tonight. Following this,
he sent to congress u memorandum
suggesting the advisability Of the pas
sage Of resolution which would ues
clare that this measure was not con-
sidered by this government viola
ton Of the treaty provisions regard
ing the canal.
In discussing tho British protest,
Mr.. Taft says the irreslstable con-
cmsion to be drawn from it Is that.
although the United States owns,
controls and has paid for the Canal, 1t
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 It's own cost, upon territory
ceded to 1t by the republic of Panama
Cor that purpose, and that unless 1t
has restricted itself the United States
enjoys absolute rights of ownership
and control, including the right to al
low its own commerce and use Of the
canal upon such terms AS 1t sees fiji.
the sole question Is:
Has the United States (By the
terms Of the IIay-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"
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 States as the basis of the
naturalization of the canal and for
no ther purpose This article, he
further said, lis a & cision Of a policy
by the United States that the canal
shall be neutral, that the attitude OF
his gopernment towards the commerce
of the world is that all nations will be
treated alike, and. there Will be no
discrimination by the United States
against any one Of them observing
rules drawn up by the United States
In other words, 1t was conditional
favored national agreement the
measure of which is not what tho
country gives It's own nation, but tho
treatment II extends to other nations.
"Thus, 1t is seen, that the rules are
but the basis Of naturalization IN
tended to affect tho neutrality which
the United States was willing should
be the character Of the canal and not
intended to limit or hamper the
United states in the legislation of It's
right to deal with its own commerce,
using its own canal in whatsoever
manner it saw fit."
The president argues that if there
Is nothing in tho Hay y-Pauncefote
treaty preventing Great Britain and
other nations from extending favors
to their shipping using the canal, and
if there is nothing giving the United
States power 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 de-
Tending the canal, finds Itself shorr
Of its right to deal with it's own COM
merce in its own way while all other
nations using the canal In compete
ton with American commerce enjoy
that right and power unimpaired.
"The British protest, therefore is q
proposal to read into the treaty q
surrender by the United States Of It's
right to It's own commerce, a right
which neither Great Britain, herself
or any other nation. that may use the
canal. has surrendered or purposes
to surrender"