The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-13
Determined Contest Over
Free Passage for American
Ships Foreign Bound
ANOTHER PROTEST FROM
GREAT BRITAIN EXPECTED
Kick Will Come After President Has
Signed Bill-Other Nations Will Set
Up Claims Under Most Favored Ma.
tion Treaty Clause.

Washington, Aug. ia deter
ference on the Panama canal bill,
against the granting of free passage
in the canal to American foreign-
bound shippers. The conference COM
mittee had its first meeting late yes
terday and continued discussion of
the measure at night session.
Senator Brandegee, who opposed
free toll provisions in the senate, is
understood to stand with Representa-
tives Adamson and Stevens of the
they consider a violation of treaty
rights. and too great a concession to
foreign-bound shipping. 1t is be-
lieved from the preliminary confer
ences on the measures that the free
toll provision for American coastwise
shipping will be retained.
Little progress was made in the first
session of the conferees toward an
agreement on the Bourne amendment
to divorce railroads from control of
competing steamship lines and the
Reed amendment prohibiting trust
controlled ships from using the Pam
ANA canal. Both houses have en-
dorsed the plan to prohibit railroad
owned ships from using the canal;
but the Bourne and Reed amendments
are new matter SO far as the house is
concerned. The British government.
according to advices from the state
department today. has made no fur
ther representations to the United
States regarding the proposition to
allow American vessels to use the
canal free of tolls. since the note Of
Charge lnnes, July s last. 1t is now
awaiting, it is said, the enactment of
the legislation into law and the adop-
ton of regulations to pnt it into effect
a more formal protest against what
it regards as a clear breach of an
existing treaty.
In recognition of the superior right
of Great Britain 10 address the United
States government on this subject by
virtue of the existence Of tine Hay
Pauncefote treaty, other European
nations ad even Japan have refrained
from approaching the state depart
terest is equal that of Great Britain
by reason of their right 10 claim equal
treatment for their shippin~ under
the favored nation clauses in existing
conventions with the United States.
Officials of this government. how
ever. are said to expect that soon
after the signature of the act by the
Pt cSiucIt, lIle IoIJtlSH charge VIII DS.
directed to submit to the state depart
ment a formal protest in behalf Of
his government against what it re-
.:ards as discrimination against Bril-
ish shipping. This will require an
equally formal reply, reciting the act
itself as mandate by congress which
the executive cannot disregard. sup
ported by such argument as the dip
lomatic bureau can make to justify
the action. AS this will amount to d
positive refusal of the British request
to treat British shipping on an equal
ity with American. it is probable, in
the opinion Of government authori-
ties, that the foreign office will come
forward with proposition to sub
NIT the issue to- arbitration, calling
attention to the existing British
American arbitration treaty as d
basis for the proposition. which move
would bring the matter to a real
crisis. Should arbitration be adverse
to the American position, it would
be necessary, it is said, for the state
department to find reasonable ground
for declination of the British over
ture, without laying itself open to the
charge that it had deliberately violat-
ed the provisions of the treaty--the
charge lodged against it in connec-
ton with the Hay -Pauncefote treaty.