Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-08-29
TAFT SIGNS THE
PANAMA BILL
Takes Stand That Measure Does
Not Violate treaty,
DOL SOVEREIGN RIGHTS.
0t.l SOVEREIGN r.
RIGHTS.
Following His Signature Of the
Measure, the President Sent
Memotandum To
Congress.

Washington President Taft signed
the Panama Canal Bill Following
this he sent to Congress memoran
dunn suggesting the advisability. Of the
passage of resolution which would
declare that this measure was not con-
sidered by this government a viola
ton OF the treaty provisions regard
ing the canal.
In discussing the British protest
against the exemption of American
shipping from the. payment Of tolls for
the use of the canal Mr.. Taft says the
irresistible conclusion to be drawn
from 1t 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 dc"
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 1t by the Republic Of Panama
for that purpose and that, unless it
has restricted itself, the United States
enjoys absolute rights of ownership
and control. including the right to al
low its own commerce the use OF the
canal upon snch terms as it sees fit,
the sole question is;
HAS the United States by the terms
OF the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, depriv-
ed itself Of the exercise of the right
to pass its own commerce free, or to
remit tolls collected for the use of the
canal"
Points Out Rules.
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
other purpose" This article, he fur
-ther says, lis declaration of policy
by the United States that the canal
shall be neutral, that the attitude of
this government toward the commerce
of the world is that all nations will be
treated alike and no discrimination
A4aAO Ny lAC ~ cS3dluSt
any one of them observing the rules
adopted by the United States. In
other words, 1t was conditional
favored nation treatment, the measure
of which in the absence of express
stipulation to that effect is not what
the country has given to it's own ma
tionals, but the treatment it extends
to other nations
Thus it is seen that the rules are
but the basis of naturalization intend
ed to effect the neutrality which the
United States was willing should be
the character of the canal and not
intended to limit or hamper the Unit
ed States in the exercise of its SOW
ereign power to deal with its own com
merce, using it's own canal in whatso-
ever manner 1t saw fit
Nothing To Prevent.
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 super
vision 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 de-
Tending the canal, finds itself shorn
of its right to deal with its own COM
Eerce in its own way, while all other
nations using the canal in competition
with American commerce enjoy that
eight and power unimpaired
The British Protest.
"The British protest, therefore, is a
proposal to read into the treaty sur
render by the United States of its
right to regulate it's own commerce in
its own way and by its own method,
right which neither Great Britain her
self nor any other nation that may
use the canal has surrendered or pro-
poses to surrender"
The President presented the pen
with which he signed the Canal Bill
to William R. Wheeler, of San Fran
cisco.
FATHER KILLS HIMSELF.