The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-03-01
SENATOR LODGE
| FIGHTS TREATY
OF ARBITRATION
Would Imperil Monroe Doctrine
and Put Panama Canal Where
Others Could Run It
COLOMBIA STILL ANGRY
Country Which Tried to Sell Strip
for $lO,OO0,OOO Would
Cause Trouble
COLOMBIA STILL ANGRY

Washington, Feb. 29,--The perils
OF submitting to arbitration ques-
tons which affect the vital policies
and problems of the nation, were out
lined in the senate today by Senator
Henry Cabot Ladge, a Republican
leader, and fourteen years a mem
Der of the foreign relations commit
tee.
Some of the senator's references
to the Monroe Doctrines relation to
the arbitration proposed in the
pending treaties with England and
France caused stir. He pointed
to the reported efforts OF foreign
powers to obtain coaling stations
and harbors near the Panama canal
and declared there was now afoot an
effort by foreign power TO gain
possession OF Magdelena Bay on the
Pacific side of Mexico. Efforts had
been made, he said. to buy the Gala
pages islands of Ecuador, near the
western end of the canal
Men Working Against Us.
One statement, and one which
held the close attention of the sem
ate, was that those who had hoped
to profit more than $4,000, 900 by
the Hay-Herran treaty, of 1908,
we've ''even now struggling through
assistants in this country who mean
tc share the spoil, TO secure by arbi-
tration what they failed to obtain
by blackmail and could not seize shy
violence"
The Hay-HerraQrtreaty was CON
yention betweeasssa United States
and Colombia witch the United
States was to pay $4,000, 900 for
the Panama Canal route and a rent
Of S250,000 year. 1t was rejected
by Colombia. The Panama revolution
followed. Colombia is now pressing
for an arbitration of her claims
The strained situation of eight
years climaxed few days ago when
seaor Ospina the Colombian Minis
ter published a letter suggesting
that Secretary Knox might find 1t
"inopportune" to visit Colombia on
his coming tour of Central America.
Minister Ospina was promptly re-
called by his government.
Could Fix Tolls.
THE tolls to be charged by us in
the Panama Canal which we have
built at our own expense, might be
brought before a tribunal, wholly or
partly composed of foreigners, to he
fixed and determined by them" de-
clared Senator Lodge. Worst than
this, our title to our own canal
might be called in question. Three
successive secretaries of state have
refused, and properly refused, to
submit our title to the canal to ar
bitration and now under clause
three OF article three, as ! interpret
it, we might be forced to submit that
title to the Hague Court or some out
side tribunal"
The wide discussion of the pend
Ing arbitration treaties he said had
been brought about by the alleged
delegation of the treaty making
power, in the third clause of article
three.
Is Unconstitutional.
Those opposed to the ratification
of the treaties unamended claim this
clause infringes upon the constitu-
tional treaty making power of the
Senate. Secretary Knox and presi-
dent Taft hold otherwise and are
by many Senators. Mr.
Lodge urged that 1t should be clari
fed by an amendment or an explana-
tion in the senate's resolution OF
Under that clause, Senator Lodge
declared, If the Commission decided
that a given question were arbi-
trable the President and the senate
would be bound morally not to OBJ
ject to the special agreement which
would follow on the ground that the
subject of the agreement was not
arbitrable. Clause three he de-
clared could not fulfill under certain
THE Monroe Doctrine could not
IN general terms, come before the
Joint High Commission, but it would
arpea~ there inevitably as incidental,
for instance, to the taking of har-
Dor on the west coast of Mexico as
proposed rs q foreign power for a |
naval station and plate of arms"
taN4 ---------------- -----------~
SlfhScr.hp TOR M. RAnafir tine