The sun., 1912-07-12
ENGLAND OBJECTS TO
PREFERENTIAL TOLLS
Provision for Free Passage Of
/. :. ships Declared Treaty
Violation.
EMBASSY PRESENTS NOTE
Grave situation Is Created by
Formal Protest Against
Canal Bill.
EMBASSY PRESENTS NOTE


rrfl-h Embassy. received by Secretary
E, state Knox to-day. puts it squarciy
t.p f. congress whether American ships
shal, have free Use of the Panama Canal
IN the face of vigorous objection on the
ulrt OF Great Britain or whether the
tinted States is To yield the right to favor
snip. owned Ivy American citizens.
Alfred Mitchell lines. counsellor and
charge Il AfTaircs of the British Embassy,
followed up his request for delay inpend-
irc canal legislation with definite and
positive statement of the objections which
Government cntertains to the pending
wills. He said his Government was of
IN. opinion that for the United States to
allow American ships to pass through
the Panama Canal without the payment
nttolls a. assessed on ships OF other ma
tions would be violation of the Hay
Pauncefote treaty.
The British Government, said Mr..
Inncss note. would consider that the
treaty : violated whether tolls were
not collected from American ships or
whether they were collected and then
refunded The lnnes note recited further
that the British Government believed
that AS to discrimination in favor Of ships
engaged in coastwise trade 1t would be
difficult to frame provision which would
not be regarded as injurious to British
interests.
Mr.. Innes added that a more extended
expression OF the views Of the British
Government on the matter of canal tolls
was now on the way. having been sent
from London yesterday. In this supple
mentary document 1t is expected that the
reasoning upon which the British Foreign
Office bases its action will be presented
IN full.
secretary Knox forwarded the Innes
note to senator Brandegee. chairman
If the senate Committee Oh lnteroceanic
canals. which has the Panama Canal bills
IN charge. he Secretary said, after thus
disycsiuC # the lnnes note. that the state
department has at this time no further
part to play in the matter. inasmuch
H. the entire question was one which
concerned tn. Congress alone AT TINS
stage ot the proceedings.
secretary nnoX said the whole matter
uf regulating tn" usa of the Panama
canal and iiAing the tolls on traffic rassin z
through the canal vas obviously III the
hands of the House a..d Senate and wholly
bcyOnu the pro. lnce of the state Depart =
m"nt II is Congress who must decide.
the Secretary said, whether the position
Il Great Britain /. well taken or not III
regard To he proposed free use of the canal
1y American ships.
IN other words. the stats Department
j. TO remain silent. merely acting a. an
Intermediary between Congress and the
british Gov erninent until Congress shall
nave decided 10y its action whether to
aCo.'Jt the British view or not.
secretary KNOX refused to discuss his
Jews upon the merits Of the question
al issue betwee tee two Governments.
ihe lnnes note makes no mention of
any objection on the pert of Great Britain
200 the pending provisions excluding rail-
read owned ships fiom the Use Of the
canal. Nevertheless i is Known to be a
fact that the action of the British Govern
ment was. in n large part al ieatt. inspired
~ the 'ishes Of the anaGians IN regard
% ihc canal The Premier Cf Canada
and a number of officials of the Canadian
Government. together with nuIlber OF
Canadian railroad men, are now in Eng
and
The seriousness with which the action
G.. the British Government is viewed here
can hardly bc overestimattd. Even in
ofcia quarters IL was admitted that
after year of more or less vague talk
N both sides of the Atlantic the issue is
luw sjuarely up to the United States
with the decis ion in the hands of Con gress
There was IA disposition in some quar-
20 cri'icise Great Britain for seeking
unduly TO interfere in matters OF domestic
concern To the United States, yet on the
o'n"r hand il was pretty generally recog'
Mod that matters pertaining to the
Panama Canal are by no means purely
domestic and that England. having q
treaty with the United States in regarc
tot canal through the Isthmus Of Panama
= entitled TO b" heard,
ttual legislation is far from being az
i'll a Gs.,.t inv n.ad
- II laws covering tolls. operation. &c.
laa' nom. d,r" To predict the form whicf
~" canal lcglslation will ultimately TAX,
On Tn" Senate has found no time I,
crr-ifer III. canal hill since II was reported
l1-l uonth The Senat" bill differs radi
cilv from the House bill and il is con
,li"'"G that there will be "A prolonget
contest IN the Senat" before there eat
cyra b. u conference on the measure
Tn" most impressive fact in the stu
a'on, viewed in the light Of the compi
ot'ipn injected into it 10y the action o
Great Britain is the lack of unity in HOus'
aud senate and the Administration in re
g'rd - canal legislation, and most pro
Apun""d + the disagreement in regart
To n" question of what treatment Aneri
'tL -'IiiS are to receive.
~" Hoti~" committee was opposed Il
Ire" ,p~-ng- for American ships, but wa
"r'"rii"d 10y vote in the House. Tn,
- Yu'" committee has reported "A bil
pro" u"ldlrg for the free use of the cana
by American ships, yet Senator Bran
Grg"" himself said to-day that his CON
'it "" vas unable to agree on II singh
f",'.l" uf the bill. II is becoming know
'.' many of the Senators ranked as tn
a'.">i pf lawyers in that body are pre-
mrur 20 fight the bill as II violation u
'ur Hay Pallncefote treaty.
Prsldou, I aft has accepted and recon
W"i i"d "a Congress the views of Secrc
i'ly o' War Sti,nSon, but II - now know
'.t' som" other lawyers in the tahine
a. rI' roncide with their chief and MI
Htr'.pu.
IL" basis Of the British objections to tn
li"' IL" If he canal lies in the declaration
ol ~" Hay Pauncefote treaty of 1901 \
r'gdrt ~ the use of the Panama Canal
va, treaty. which il the last word on tn
,phI"o' between the United States am
'F'ri Britain, recites that
Ih"raual shall be free and open 10 IN
'"-''.- of commerce and of war of "A
'dtnh- deserving these rules on terms q
"'lr" quality, so that there shall he n
"'.'li,tnatlOn against any such natio
|- ''l''n- or subjects IN respect to IN
'' .O]pn- or charges of traffic or other
"i,
IN" Rru~h view, according 70 the oh
.N- mad" known to-day. holds that
-." 'm.rI"an ships free passage, elth"
l.' lection of tolls or by r-iundin
.l"c''d. directly or indirectly.