Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-08-27
TAFT SIGNS CANAL BILL;
ADVISES EXPLANATION
Foreign Powers Should Be Put
on Notice of United States
Policy

WASHINGTON, Aug 24.-President
Taft signed the Panama canal bill at
7:10 o'clock tonight Following this he
sent to congress a memorandum sug-
costing the advisability Of the passage
of a resolution which would declare
that this measure was not considered
by this government a violation of the
treaty provisions regarding the canal.
In discussing the British protest Mr..
Taft says that 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 do"
I'm view Of the facts" Mr.. Taft con-
tinues. that the Panama canal is be-
ing constructed by the United States
wholly at its own cost. upon territory
ceded to it by the republic Of Panama
for that purpose and that unless it has
restricted itself, the United States en-
joys absolute rights of ownership and
control, including the right to allow its
own commerce the use of the canal upon
such terms as it sees fit. the sole ques-
ton Isl Has the United States (by the
terms of the Hay-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 neu-
tralization of the canal and for no othes
purpose" This article. he further says,
lis asdeclaration 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 made by the
United States against any one of them
observing rules adopted by the United
States. In other words. it was a condi-
tional favored nation treatment. the
measure Of which is not what the coun-
try to give it's own nation. but the
treatment ii 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 in
tended to limit or hamper the United
States in the exercise of its sovereign
power to deal with its own commerce,
using it's own canal in whatsoever man
ner it saw fit"
The president argues that If there is
nothing in the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
preventing Great Britain and other ma
lions from extending favors to their
shipping using the canal, and if there
is nothing that gives the United States
any supervision over or right to com.
plain of such action, then the British
protest leads to the absurd conclusion
that this government in constructing
the canal, finds itself shorn of its right
own way while all other nations using
the canal in competition with Ameri-
can commerce enjoy that right and
power unimpaired.
THE British protest therefore is 3
proposal to read into the treaty a sur
render by the United States of its right
to regulate its own commerce. a right
which neither Great Britain herself or
any other nation that may use the ca
nal has surrendered or proposes to sur
render"
The president dissents from the view
that permission to register foreign
built vessels as vessels of the United
States for foreign trade and the admis-
sion without duty of ship materials viii
interfere with the shipbuilding inter-
ests of the United States. He approves
the amendment of the interstate COM
merce act whereby railroad companies
are forbidden to own or control ships
operated through the canal.
He also approves the provision which
prevents the owner of any steamship
who Is guilty of violating the antitrust
law from using the canal.