Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-13
EUROPE TO FIGHT
CANAL TOLL ACT
Combines Plans TO Enforce U.
S. to Give Equal Treat
ment to It's Ships.

Washington, Dec. ia formidable
European combination designed 10
force the United States TO give equal
treatment 70 all nations with respect to
the use of the Panama canal may be
effected If this government declines to
comply with the British demand TO ar
bi.rate the toll question.
This same combination also may be
employed IN an attempt to prevent the
enforcement Of the Sherman antitrust
law against international financial, in
dustrial and shipping enterprises.
II is understood that all the contin-
entail European governments and Japan
are IN full sympathy with the British
protest, both in its opposition to dis
elimination in the matter Of tolls in IA
vor Of American coastwise shipping and
in the objection 70 the provision Of the
Panama canal law prohibiting railroad
and trust-owned ships from passing
through the canal
u Is but a step, OF course, from oppo-
sitiou TO the embargo placed upon rail-
road and trust-owned ships to oppoI-
ton to American attack upon foreign
commercial trusts generally.
Only recently this government was
forced 20 back down from an untena-
bic position with respect to the coffee
valorizatiou trust Of Brazil. Chile has
a niLa.e trust The American beef
trust is operating in Argentina.
Germany is engaged in the creation
ftF "a d oil mn 10
pose Of which Is 20 drive the Standard
OIL company out OF the German en-
pire That government also has a pot
ash trust and objects to American pro
ceedings against its combines, partly
on account that American courts might
require the dissolution of trust when
such dissolution would be punishable
under the German law.
The French. Italian and Austrian gov
ornments are administering their to-
bacco monopolies without reference to
the procedure OF this government
Great Britain is watching with close in
terest the developments in the pending
suit against the transatlantic steam
ship lines.
II is understood an exchange of
views has taken place among Euro
pean nations with reference to the
antitrust activity of the United States.
So far as known they have not formu-
lated any definite policy in the way of
rcprisal but that something OF the kind
will be done II this government con
uuues TO enforce the Sherman law
agaius' International combinations is
not questioned.
The first step will be taken by Great
Britain In the note respecting the
Panama canal submitted by the Brit
ish ambassador to the state depart
ment a few days ago, Sir Edward Grey,
the British minister for foreign affairs.
stated he did not regard the action of
the Panama canal law prohibiting rail-
rCad-owned or trustowned ships from
using the canal as applying to or af-
feCting British ships.
If this view were incorrect, however
he said the British government must
reserve its right to examine the matter
further and to raise such contentious
as may seem justified"
The Canadian transcontinental lines
own ocean-going ships, and would be
hit just as the American transcontin
entail lines are. il this provision of the
law is enforced against them. II is tC
their interest, as It is to the interest Of
the American railroads, TO have this
section repealed.
They also naturally want American
coastwise shipping 10 pay tolls and thu.
be deprived of an advantage which II
all probability will affect transcontin
entail rates. There are also a larg
number OF American trusts which owl
ships, as do foreign trusts.
Ii is accepted as fact that the finan
ciers operating the railroads and trusti
have been in communication with eacl
other, and the result is a general pro
gram contemplating the application o
pressure upon European government!